Three Pretty Lily's All in a Row
by BornThisWay
Summary: A series of three one shots surrounding Raw Diva Lilian Garcia. Will contain unusual pairings in the opinions of some, dedicated to PugNTurtle, Shout Diva & Live it Up, please read and review all feedback is greatly appreciated continued by request
1. Chapter 1

This is the first one shot in a series of three, all featuring Raw Diva Lilian Garcia. This series is dedicated to PugNTurtle, Shout Diva and Live it Up; this first one shot is for PugNTurtle, the next will be for Shout Diva then Live it up etc..

This one shot is set sometime during the Brand Extension, hope you all enjoy.

I own nothing and no one as per usual .. Happy Holidays everyone, please read and review.

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"Let's get married!" He blurted impetuously.

"What??!" Her glass fell to the floor and smashed into a thousand pieces. As the fragments glinted in the morning sun that danced across the floor, she whirled to face him, questions in her eyes and surprise across her face. "What did you say?!"

"Marry me." He said softly.

Eyes wide, she stared at him incredulously before turning away in shock. "I .. marry you?"

The immediate silence following her question was deafening. When he cast his eyes away from her to resist contact, she spun away from him again and knelt to the floor, picking up the shards littered there.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed. Staring out the window he was taken back to a time when things were simpler. By no means had things been easy. It had just been ... about them.

_-------------------------------------------------_

"_We shouldn't be doing this," he breathed, caught up in the intoxicating aroma of her scent, his fingers lingering on her hips. Leaning back he moaned_, _enjoying the sensation of her lips traveling across his jaw. "Lil .."_

_She silenced him with a kiss that would have dropped jaws had they had an audience. Giving into temptation, he moved his hands to her shoulders, entangling his fingers in her hair. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned into him, molding her petite form against his muscular chest. Nuzzling his neck now, her arms encircled his waist and she rested her head on his shoulder. Sighing, she closed her eyes and began to speak. "I know, we shouldn't .. but I needed to see you. I hate having to pretend and keep up appearances! This charade is killing me! I just want ..."_

"_We can't." He spoke at a whisper, using one hand to gesture to the cramped space they were in. "I don't want you to lose your job over this. You know that we can't tell anyone just yet ..." He brushed a piece of hair off her forehead and cradled her closer to him._

"_So we've resorted to fraternizing in a cleaning closet," she muttered bitterly._

"_I don't like it anymore than you do," he chided gently. "I thought you knew that .."_

"_Just because I know doesn't mean I have to like it," Lilian retorted, biting her lower lip._

_Turning her toward him, he dropped a featherweight kiss on the top of her head before kissing her softly on the lips. _

"_We'll get through this," he promised her, regretfully letting her go. Her shoulders drooped, realising that it was time for him to leave. He had a plane to catch back to Smackdown! following the show that night, and she had to return to Monday Night Raw. "I'll drop by on Wednesday , and see how you're doing okay?"_

_The small blond nodded and turned her head so he wouldn't see her tears fall. It was pointless, he knew this was killing her, her tears were testament to that. Smiling slightly he gathered her in his arms again and kissed her intensely before slipping back into the hall. As soon as he had appeared, he was gone again. Standing in the dark, she made no effort to conceal her pain. He loved her, she knew that. She loved him too, with all of her heart. All she wanted was for him to stay._

_-------------------------------------------------_

Turning back to her, he swallowed. "I said, let's get married."

"Married." She echoed needlessly.

His eyes pleaded with her to listen to him, for her to hear him out, but her Latina temper was getting in the way. Kneeling down beside her, he cupped her cheek softly. "Uh huh. Married. You know, a ceremony, with a Priest, our families and all of our friends," he teased gently.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment to succumb to the pure pleasure she was experiencing simply being in his presence. She could feel his breath on her face, and in that instant she knew what she wanted her answer to be. But then again, she didn't always get what she wanted.

Coming back down from her daydream, she spoke quietly, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Well, wouldn't that be interesting," she retorted. "We can't even hold hands or touch in public and you want to get married?! No one even knows about us for crying out loud!! I can see it now, my mother would have a heart attack opening the invitation!! That is, if we can even invite her to the wedding," she smirked bitterly. "If we have to keep our relationship a secret I guess the marriage would have to be secret too, right? No, I can't marry you. It's not right."

"I .. I thought you would want this .." His head fell and he removed his hand from her face in defeat. In that very instant, all of the confidence he had came crashing down around him. If she didn't want him .. then .. he was nothing ..

"I would want this??" The small blonde exploded. "What I want is to be able to tell my sister Dahlia about the wonderful guy who makes me feel complete! What I want, is to be able to tell Trishabout you so she'll stop setting me up on these stupid blind dates with her sisters friends!!" Chest heaving she was standing now, hands shaking. He rose to his feet, reaching out a hand to her but she would have none of it. "What I want," she whispered brokenly. "Is to be able to see you at work, and not have to automatically duck into hiding ... to be able to smile at you without having to feel guilty, without having to turn away..."

_-------------------------------------------------_

_As they stood in the ring, he glanced at her before quickly averting his eyes. Feeling his gaze upon her, she turned to see him staring off into the crowd. Sighing sadly, she stepped between the ropes and walked unsteadily down the ring steps, almost slipping on the bottom one. Gratefully, she accepted Marc's hand as he guided her back to her seat. He saw the sadness in her eyes, but didn't understand why it lingered there. As the match finished, he had to shake her arm to alert her it was time to announce the winner. Lilian did so, but her usual enthusiasm and playful tone were missing. She was staring at the back of a man making his way up the ramp. The man in question turned, smiling briefly before he disappeared into the night. Careful not to draw attention to herself, she slipped into conversation with Jim Ross, ignoring the pain she was feeling. They're up to something, Marc surmised. But what?_

_Backstage, the timekeeper grabbed Lilian by the elbow and directed her into an empty hallway. "What's going on between you two?" He asked simply, not mincing words._

_Focusing on her boots, she replied sullenly. "Nothing."_

"_It's not nothing Lilian .. I saw the way he looked at you, and I saw the way you tried to catch his attention without anyone noticing out there."_

_Guilty, she fished for an answer. _

"_He's my friend," she insisted. "We're just friends .. Since the roster split, I never get to see him anymore. These Pay Per Views are the only chance we have to catch up, I was just trying to get him to notice me so I could say hello.." She lied, desperately trying to find a way out of this situation._

"_Lilian ..."_

"_Marc, that's all it is. Really."_

"_If Vince knew what you guys were up too .. you know he has this crazy policy regarding fraternization between employees at the moment ... I don't want either of you getting hurt by whatever you two have going ..."_

_Frustrated by the fact that Marc was even trying to have this talk with her, she blew a piece of hair out of her eyes and stared him down. "There is nothing going on," she responded coolly. "We are friends, that's it. He's on Smackdown! now, I'm on Raw_, _and there is nothing between us. Now if you excuse me, Marc, I have places to go."_

_As she stepped around him defiantly, he spoke quietly, his voice barely audible over the noise her boots made as she strode away from him. "If it's any consolation, he feels the same way. He doesn't like it anymore than you do."_

_Freezing momentarily, she turned back toward him but he was already gone. Forcing down the sobs that threatened to consume her, she leaned against the wall massaging her temples. God, what she wouldn't give to see him right now._

"_Hey Lily," a familiar voice piped up beside her._

"_Hey Trish .. nice work out there."_

"_What's wrong?" Trish asked, concerned for her friend. "Who do I have to hit now?" She joked quite seriously._

"_No one."_

"_You sure?"_

"_Yeah, it's just been a long night."_

_Trish shrugged. If her friend wasn't going to tell her what was up she wasn't going to force her too. "Okay," she agreed looping her arm through Lilian's. "So, my sister knows this guy ..."_

"_Trish, not another blind date!"_

_Blinking, the reigning Women's Champ withdrew, feeling a little uneasy at the tone of the ring announcers voice. "I just want you to be happy Lily .."_

_I am, Lilian thought. Happily in love with the man of my dreams, the one whom I can't even dare let his name pass my lips. The one who I'll be ducking off to see when the shows cross over next, and the one you might not ever know about. _

"_I'm happy. Really, I am."_

_-------------------------------------------------_

"We've been through this," he said, wrapping his arms around her now. She tried to push him away, but he cradled her closer. "I want nothing more than to be able to hold you like this before the show, to be able to sit with you alone and just talk to you. But you know how Vince is Lil .. one day, he's fine with this sort of thing and the next he's not."

Tears falling still, she snuggled against him. "I know ... "

"I want you." He choked out honestly. "I need you to know that. I know this is hard for you, living a lie, always keeping secrets from Trish and your family."

"I want you too." She broke in. "More than anything. But I want to be able to tell people how I feel about you! I want to be able to turn to that one sleazy guy at a bar and say, 'hey, this is my boyfriend you jerk, stop trying to pick me up."

He laughed a little, knowing that there was nothing else he could do to take away her pain right now. The last thing he had wanted was to make her cry, now he just wanted to bring a smile to her face. "That's why I want you to marry me," he confessed. "I want to be able to say that Lilian Garcia is coming home with me, that she's the one I'm holding in my arms at night."

"We don't have to get married for you to be able to say that .." she said slowly.

"I know. But if you give me the honor of marrying you, I'll be able to say that to everyone, and let them know that missed their chance. I want everyone to know about us, I _want_ to marry you."

"Then why? Why now, why like this?" She almost demanded. "We can't tell anyone, not if we both want to keep our jobs. You've been with the company for over a decade, I can't ask you to give that up!"

"Lil." Searching her eyes for the devotion he knew was there, he realised what he had to do."I'm willing to give it up. For you. _For us_."

Eyes wide in amazement, she struggled to find the words she was looking for."No, you can't do that! The company is your life, this isn't even a option."

"The company is a big part of my life. It has given me a lot, but most of all it's given me _you_. As long as I have you ..." His voice drifted off slowly leaving Lilian to draw her own conclusion."Even if you won't marry me now, please, Lil, say you'll wear my ring." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small jewelery box, opening it up for her to see.

"It's beautiful." She breathed, gazing at the exquisite diamond band. "But .. I don't need a ring to know how much you love me," she whispered truthfully. "I don't need any of it .. I just want to know that we'll make it through this."

"Lil, this isn't just a ring. It's a symbol of what we have, and what I don't want to have to live with out. It's my promise to you Lilian, my way of saying that no one, not even Vince can't stand in the way of me loving you."

_-------------------------------------------------_

"_Lilian, it has come to my attention that there is a possibility you've been dating a fellow employee."_

"_Mr McMahon, it's not how to looks."_

"_You know my policy Lilian. It's just not allowed." The Chairman frowned slightly as he took in Lilian's appearance, her dishevelled hair and wrinkled attire. "I'm sorry, but if these allegations are true, it's your love life or your job."_

"_But .."_

"_I'm sorry. That's just how it is."_

_Forlorn, she left her bosses office and turned the corner to her dressing room where he was waiting._

"_How did it go?" He asked anxiously. Piercing green eyes met his across the room. They spoke volumes, and this particular story didn't have a happy ending._

"_It's you or my job," she sobbed. "We're done for."_

_-------------------------------------------------_

His eyes pleading with her, she looked down at the ring and traced its shape. Vince or no Vince, job or no job, he was sure she realised."You're serious."

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't,' he replied dryly. Gathering her toward him once more he began to stroke her hair softly. "I realise that this isn't ideal Lil, but I want to marry you. To me, marriage is more than just a certificate with our names on it saying that we're together. It's a symbol of my commitment to you, and right now, I can't think if any other way to show you how I feel. If it means me saying goodbye to the business, then I can do that, _I will_ do that. Just tell me you want this."

Her eyes meeting his, she released her arms from where they were pinned around his chest to loop them around his neck. Breathing in deeply, she recalled every moment they'd shared over the past two years. Their time on Raw, to their troubles during the current brand extension ... the way she felt secure in his embrace, the way he always managed to do the right thing without her even asking. Right then, she knew what she wanted to tell him. "I ... I want to tell people. I want to at least tell my family, and Trish,"

He nodded gravely, knowing that this whole situation was a little intense to have sprung on her in the middle of his kitchen floor, but hey, someone said there was no time like the present. It wasn't how he'd planned this, but at the very least it would be memorable. "I know," he said reassuringly, rubbing her back. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sorry that we've had to go through this for so long, you deserve so much better."

"Do you .. are you sure?" Her face examined his searchingly, as if this was all apart of some giant prank. "I have to know .. this is a big step .. when you think about it, we've never even had a real first date."

He chuckled, despite the gravity of the situation. "If taking you on a date is what it take to get you to say yes, then count me in."

Smiling, Lilian giggled. "Then I guess we should probably ring Vince and give him an update as well."

"Really?" Now he was skeptical. His heart had suddenly jumped into his throat, his palms were sweating and his face was pale, a stark contrast to her healthy pink glow. "You'll marry me??!!" He stood with her in his arms, spinning her around the room, his feet crushing the glass below.

She nodded, rubbing her nose against his ever so slightly. "Yes."

"Mike Chioda, I will marry you."


	2. Chapter 2

This is the first one shot in a series of three, all featuring Raw Diva Lilian Garcia. This series is dedicated to PugNTurtle, Shout Diva and Live it Up; this second one shot is for Shout Diva, the next will be for Live it up etc..

No time frame for this one, just in the last year or so. Apologies to Katy if the ending seems kind of rush .. I had a deadline, remember? All those award ceremonies I had to attend .. lmao

I own nothing but the OC Julie in this one shot ... the lyrics aren't mine either, a one shot for the person who can tell me where they're from without looking it up .. Happy Holidays everyone, please read and review.

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"Are you ready??"

Lilian tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she sang along to the theme song pf Degeneration X. Driving along the highway she was waiting for the lights to change so she could move off the exit ramp. It was Halloween, and she was in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the annual World Wrestling Entertainment party. Lowering her voice, she continued to imitate Triple H as if he was acting out the degenerates weekly spiel.

"No, Pittsburgh!" She roared between laughter. "I said .. Are .. You .. Reeeady??" Snorting at her attempt to impersonate the Game, she moved on to Shawn Michaels. "And if you're not down with that, we got two words for ya!!"

"SUCK IT!"

Motioning out the window as if she was pointing at the crowd in an arena she yelled the two words out excitedly, before turning her attention back to the road. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. Spinning to her left, she turned to see a snotty nosed little boy and his sister gaping at her, camera in hand, their mother trying vainly to cover their ears as Lilian yelled out DX's favourite profanities. The father of the family glared at her as she recoiled sheepishly and sped off as the lights changed.

"Geez, what's so bad about saying 'suck it'?" she sniped, both a little embarrassed at being caught on camera and cussing in front of the children. "It's not as if I was saying I wanted to suck .. ah .. anything," she murmured under her breath. "Though Shawn .. mmm"

Face flushing red, Lilian turned her attention back to the road just in time to see a truck swerve from the other side of the highway right in front of her. Screaming, she tried desperately to gain control of her vehicle and change lanes but it was too late. As she braced herself for the impact, the truck bore down on her, the cab of the truck sideswiping the passenger side of the car. Clipping the side of the truck, the car spun wildly, slipping down the side of an embankment. Lilian heard screaming, but her mouth was frozen still and she didn't know where all the noise was coming from. "I'm going to die!!".

As the car finally stopped to rest against a tree, she slowly opened her eyes, unaware that she'd even closed them during the course of the accident. Breathing heavily, she looked up to see the passenger side of the car twisted and gnarled together. Miraculously, the drivers side of the car had suffered little damage, but the windscreen was shattered. As she slowly unclipped her seatbelt, Lilian touched her cheek, feeling the tangy taste of blood dripping on to her tongue. Her eye was swollen to touch, a massive bruise forming over her delicate features. "Okay Lil," she said to herself. "You're okay, you're going to be alright. First, make sure you have nothing broken .. " Grimacing in pain, Lilian slowly curled her toes, then clenched her fingers, sighing in relief as everything seemed to be alright. Dusk was coming, she noted. The sun was long gone now as a cool stillness settled over the car. Unconsciously, she shivered, mentally cursing the Halloween costume she had drawn out of the hat, and her decision not to get changed when she got there. Her costume was now torn and ripped, covered in blood, but still she felt no pain. I must be in shock she figured, I need to get out of here and stay alert. Reaching for the door handle, she groaned aloud. It was jammed shut, and nothing short of a miracle was going to open that door. "Alright," she said, speaking to herself once more. "You can either wait for someone to come and save you, or you can do the right thing and try and get out of this deathtrap to make sure the guy driving that truck is okay."

Reaching for her bag, and thanking the Lord for keeping her safe, Lilian fumbled for her cell, hoping to call someone, anyone, who could come and help her. Her fingers closing around it, she snatched it up eagerly and dialed emergency services. To her dismay, she was met with an automated response. "The number you are trying to reach is not accessible from this phone. You are currently out of call range. Please try again ..." Lilian swore loudly as she slammed her phone down in disgust, realising that it was probably damaged in the crash. Head in her hands, she choked back a sob as a cool breeze wafted through the broken window, bringing with it the smell of gas. Gas ..

Lilian looked out the window again, suddenly registering the truck thrown on it's side by the impact of the crash. "Dammit!" She cried. "Gas! I've got to get out of here!" Forgetting about any immediate danger she might face by going through the broken window, Lilian launched herself through the windscreen of car, her costume becoming snagged on shards of glass stuck to the frame."Oh come on! This is not happening!" Ripping her costume free, Lilian cautiously slipped off the car, slashing her leg on ripped metal but failing to notice. Running over to the truck, she saw the still form lying inside, coughing slightly. I've got to get her out of there she realised. Jimmying the door handle, she saw it was as stuck as hers was. "No, no, no," she muttered, "I've got to help her!" Seeing that she had no other alternative she threw her small frame against the door, hoping that the force would make the door dislodge itself. It did, but with every passing moment the smell of gas was getting stronger. Quickly, she knelt down beside the female driver and began to try and rouse her awake. "Ma'am? Ma'am can you hear me?"

To her surprise, the women coughed harshly and tried to sit up. "I .. can hear you .." she spluttered. "What happened?"

"There's been an accident," she told the young women gently. "We're going to get you out of here, I promise. What's your name?"

"Ju ... Julie," she coughed once more, managing to turn her head toward her rescuer. "I have to get home .. my .. kids, they're waiting to go trick or treating."

Lilian's eyes began to water, both from the barrage of emotions she was feeling right now and the gas stinging her face. "We'll get you to your kids, Julie, I promise. But first, I've got to get you out of here. Do you think you can crawl out of the cab? "

Julie nodded, though she looked uncertain. Her arm was sticking out at an odd angle Lilian noticed, though Julie hadn't seemed to see that just yet. "I think so Ma'am .."

"Call me Lilian," she corrected her gently. "And there's to be no 'think so', we're going to get you out of her Julie." By now, it was dark. The sun was long gone and Lilian was struggling to see Julie through the dim light. She knew she had a lighter in her car, for emergencies, but she knew there was_ no way_ she would be using it until they were far away from the wreck. "Now, I'm going to give you my hand, and I want you to give me your left arm, not your right arm, okay? I'm going to try and slide you out of here."

Julie nodded though she figured Lilian couldn't see her, and offered her hand to her rescuer. She could also smell the gas in the air and knew that they had to get out of there as quick as possible. Sucking in a big breath, she tried her hardest to move herself, knowing that Lilian needed her to move. However, she hadn't counted on the massive log that had pierced the window and fallen on her foot. "Lilian," she gasped. "My foot, it's trapped!"

Lilian swore, knowing that they didn't have much time left to get out of there. "Okay, Julie?"

"Yes?" The young women replied timidly.

"Have you ever seen those shows where people do ridiculous things to save people? And you know that under ordinary circumstances the things they're doing just aren't possible?"

Julie nodded slowly, confused a little by Lilian's question and taking the time to think about her response. "Yes .. There was this one show where a boy was trapped .. ARGHHH!" Screams of pain filled the air as Lilian pulled Julie free of the truck, the pair tumbling out on to the grass. "My foot, I think it's broken!" she gasped, knowing that Lilian had done the best thing under the circumstances.

Lilian blinked back the tears that now threatened to fall as she realised what she had done. "I'm sorry .."

"Don't be, it's okay," Julie whimpered. "Let's just get out of here!" Lilian nodded, wrapping an arm around Julie's waist. Julie gritted her teeth in pain, but allowed the small Raw Diva to assist her away from the wreckage. They slowly made their way back to Lilian's rental, groping their surroundings to try and establish where they were. Lilian frowned, knowing that Julie had to receive medical attention immediately, but at the same time knowing that they were a long way from anywhere.

"Okay, we have to get back up that embankment," Lilian said, pointing towards the ridge they would have to climb. "To try and flag someone down."

Julie dropped her head, looking at the steep incline they had come down. "I don't think I can climb that Lilian."

"You can climb it Julie, even if I have to carry you!" Fear aside, the small blondes determination to get Julie home to her kids was taking over. "Now, I'm going to get my phone out of my car and hopefully we'll be on our way soon. You just sit tight, okay?" Julie nodded, he head dropping into what looked like a heavy sleep. Seeing that her accomplice probably had a concussion, she knew she had to keep her talking. Rushing to the remains of her vehicle Lilian scooped up her jacket and her bag from the seat before hurrying back to Julie. The young women was already asleep, Lilian noticed fearfully. They had to get up that hill. But how?

Hoisting Julie into her arms Lilian struggled to stand, but she slowly gained some forward momentum and headed up the hill. Feeling slightly dizzy herself now, she almost tipped over twice, before making the top, Julie's weight too much to carry. Eventually they reached the top, Lilian wrapping Julie in her jacket, carefully tucking her arm in toward her body. Setting her down beside her, Lilian began to try and flag down cars, but no one would stop.

"Help,"she called hoarsely as a vehicle sped past. "Somebody, stop!!" She stepped hesitantly onto the highway but jumped back as a car tooted at her angrily."Hey!! Come on, somebody stop!! Please!!" Desperate to help her new friend, Lilian ran along side a slow moving vehicle, trying to get the driver to pull over. The car sped up upon seeing her, and pulled away into the next lane, causing Lilian to pick up a rock and hurl it at the drivers back window."C'mon, how hard is it to pull over and help someone you jerk?!!" Sighing loudly, she rushed back to Julie still body, lightly slapping her cheek to try and wake her up. "Julie .. Julie, wake up honey, you need to stay awake for me. Julie .."

Lilian's pleading was interrupted by a large blast, an enormous booming sound that ricocheted throughout the area. Frantically, Lilian threw her body over Julie's trying to stay low. A searing heat could be felt as she glanced around, the body of the truck alight, blazing in the frigid night air. It was all suddenly too much for Lilian, her brave facade crumbling as she watched sparks flying around them, falling to the ground like the tears that were now flooding from her eyes. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she gave into the sleep that had been threatening to claim her. Even though she hadn't realised it, she had lost a lot of blood, and her body was close to giving in to the rest she so sorely needed. It wasn't until she'd closed her eyes that a car pulled over to the side of the road, its owner rushing out to assist the two young women, collapsed and covered in blood.

Turning the first women over, he sucked in a big breath before letting it out slowly. "Oh, Lily, no."

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Almost twenty minutes later Lilian awoke to find herself in the arms of a stranger. "Julie?" She murmured, still slightly dazed.

"Julie will be okay," a soft voice responded. "She's being loaded into an ambulance right now, she's okay."

Alarmed at the strange new voice she was hearing, Lilian's right eye popped open, her left still swollen shut. "What .. what are you doing here??"

Glancing down at her sheepishly, he shifted her slightly in his arms so she could sit up. "I was heading to the Halloween party, and I saw two figures on the side of the road, so I pulled over to check it out. I didn't know it was you, I swear." He blushed bright red, obviously embarrassed at being caught out.

"It's okay .." she managed, trying to climb out of his arms. "I'm .. I'm glad you stopped."

Keeping her still he flushed with pride. "Really?"

"Well," she said, gesturing to her surroundings with her thumb. "I wouldn't want to be stuck out here all night."

His face dropped, not hearing what he'd hoped to. So she was thankful to be rescued, that was it. She didn't care that it had been him to save her. Why was she so .. distanced around him? Swallowing hard, he forced a smile. "I wouldn't want you to be left out here all night either."

Again, she tried to hop out of his grasp. Smiling politely at him, her eyes pleaded with him to let her go. Sighing loudly, he gently placed her down beside him, leaving her to examine her injuries. She winced at the pressure placed on her lower back when she sat down, but tried to hide it, not wanting to have anything else to worry him with. "What's wrong with me?"

"The Doc checked you out," he replied staring off into the distance. "They've cleaned up all your scrapes and grazes, but they want you to head to the hospital for a more thorough check up. You lost a lot of blood, Lilian."

"And Julie?"

"She's going to be okay. A few broken bones, concussion, cuts and bruises. Could have been a lot worse." Daring himself to reach out and grasp her hand in his, he stroked her petite fingers with his thumb. "You saved her life."

She shrugged nonchalantly, not even registering his touch. "I did what anyone else would have done." She inched away from him a little more With his big frame dwarfing hers, she felt more than a little intimidated. Watching her out of the corner of his eye he sighed inwardly, wondering why she was doing this. He didn't mean to scare her. Seeing his shoulders drop a little more she suddenly turned to survey him. Her lips twitched at the hint of a smile as she giggled to herself. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Funny," she said flippantly, not wanting to let him see he was bothering her. "Do you normally walk around in that police get up? You look like one of the Village People."

He looked down at the police officers costume he was wearing before looking up at her strangely. "Do you," he questioned, gesturing to her own outfit, of a tutu and a tiara, "always walk around looking like a sugar plum fairy?"

Mortified, she looked down to see she was still in her ballerina costume she'd chosen for the Halloween party. "The Halloween party," she said softly. "We're missing it." So much for seeing Shawn she figured. He saw her morose expression and instantly felt guilty for teasing her.

"I'm sorry, " he said quietly. "I know you wanted to see Shawn ..."

She looked up at him surprised. "How did you know that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Lucky guess?"

Glancing at him quizzically she tried to determine if he was being truthful."It's okay. Shawn wouldn't look at me twice anyway," she finally said looking up at him. She couldn't understand why he was here. They'd spoken once or twice, but not enough for them to be having this conversation. He intrigued her, she's give him that. There was something about him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Being out here isn't as bad now that I'm not alone."

Slipping out of his jacket he gently put it on her, careful not to hurt her. She was still shaking, how he longed to hold her close and make it stop. God, did this women realise how unbelievably amazing she was? She'd saved a women's life tonight, putting her own at risk, and still she acted as if it was in a days work.

"Yeah?"

"I know I'm not Shawn," he said softly. She looks so beautiful right now, he thought. I just wish she would let me in ... "But would you mind?"

She peered at him curiously, before catching on to what he meant. Nodding bashfully, she had to grin at the nervous look on his face. Hesitantly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She froze, but let him hug her toward him. She had to admit, if anyone had to drive by, she was glad it was him. Silently they sat, her frail form drawing warmth from his body heat. She wasn't scared of him anymore, didn't have to be scared of him.

The ambulance carrying Julie drove away, and suddenly they were the only two there, sitting on the roadside watching a fire crew contain the flames burning from the truck. It was only then that what had happened hit her; she had been so close to losing her life, to never having the chance to experience something like this again. Fresh tears began to roll down her cheeks as the smoldering ashes burnt away, and she snuggled into his side fiercely. Shocked, but not complaining, he pulled her closer, his hands encircling hers, his hot breath softly rolling across her neck. Then strangely enough, her companion began to sing.

_Baby mine, don't you cry  
Baby mine, dry your eyes  
Rest your head close to my heart  
Never to part, baby of mine.  
_

_  
Little one when you play  
Don't you mind what you say  
Let those eyes sparkle and shine  
Never a tear, baby of mine._

Sniffling away, Lilian looked up at the man beside her. She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her with a small smile. "My mother used to sing that to me. When my Dad was away, when I left home, leaving her, almost leaving everyone."

"That was beautiful," she whispered brokenly.

"Not as beautiful as you," he blurted. "I said that out loud didn't I?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"But .. you know what?"

He glanced over at her, playing with her fingers. She doesn't sound angry .. maybe this means something? "What?"

"Now you remind me of a member of the Village People more than ever .. why did you have to sing?"

Groaning, he tickled her lightly. "Not all men in police uniforms sing YMCA Lilian." Giggling, she tried to jostle away from him as their eyes met for the first time. She was surprised by the humility they had to offer. He wasn't as brash as he seemed she realised. There was compassion there, and strength. She felt like ... she knew him. Holding her tightly with one arm, he slowly hoisted her on to his lap. Gingerly, she moved around a little to find a comfortable spot. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Silence descended upon them once again. She felt the urge to tell him what was running through her head. "I was scared of you earlier tonight."

If he was hurt, he was trying desperately not to show it. "You were?"

"I ... I didn't know what to think when I woke up in your arms ... It's nothing personal. You're just so big ..."

"Lilian, just because I'm a big guy doesn't mean that I'm scary, do you see that?"

Gulping nervously, she nodded before trying to justify her words. "I know that now ... I shouldn't have judged you like that ... you're just so .. "

"It's okay," he soothed. "I get it."

Turning to him, she traced his features with her fingers. "It's not okay. I shouldn't be frightened of you! You're not scary .. I .. I like you."

"Thanks," he whispered back. "I kinda like you too. Have for a while now actually," he joked. Lilian took his hand and kissed his palm, before touching it to his cheek. "You can kiss me Lil, it's okay," he said softly, seeing what he thought was fear in her eyes. She shook her head quickly, something he interpreted as rejection. "Or not ..."

Smiling, she poked out her tongue. "You jerk. I was just wondering what it's like to kiss a man in uniform." Grinning still, she leaned toward him to kiss him ever so lightly, but he would have none of it. Running a hand through her hair, he pulled her closer and kissed her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her lips, before blazing a trail of kisses down her neck. Wincing slightly as he accidentally brushed a hand over her lower back, she froze, expecting him to continue like most guys would do. He stopped, pulling back in concern.

"Well .. an officer and a gentleman," she smirked. "What did it take to get you in my life?

Growing serious, he pushed a wayward piece of hair off her face and tightened his jacket around her. "It almost took your life."

They were interrupted as the sound of a car engine choked through the night. Watching as Lilian's rental was towed away, the pair stood, he wrapping his arm around her, virtually carrying her effortlessly. His eyes were full of love as he gazed down at her, memorizing every detail. She gazed back at him, thoughts of Shawn and Halloween long gone in her mind. Staring into the night it hit her just how lucky she was. She was okay, Julie was okay and .. well, the night wasn't over yet. Contemplating that thought her eyes lit up, yet dimmed again as she looked down the embankment where her belongings were strewn across the field.

"Dammit," she muttered as they watched the mangled shell of her rental get towed away. "My hotel reservations .. they were in the glove compartment."

"You almost died, and you're concerned about your hotel reservations?!!" He asked incredulously.

"I'll never find a place on Halloween, not looking like this .." Gesturing to her torn tutu and mottled face, he knew she was right. No one would let her a room looking like a horror movie extra.

He shrugged carelessly, full of confidence now as he knew exactly how she felt. . "Stay with me."

"What?"

"Stay with me. I don't bite."

She carefully raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Just one question" she finally said.

He nodded, thankful she was agreeing and not putting up a fight.

"Well ... you know how you're all dressed up in that police uniform with no place to go?" She asked cutely. He nodded, warily this time, wondering what he was getting himself into.

"Go on," he said hesitantly.

Lilian fluttered her eyelashes, attempting to look like a demure little lady. "Well, Detective Lashley .. will we get to play with your handcuffs?"


	3. Chapter 3

Here lies the final installment of Three Pretty Lily's ... well, the original series anyway. By request, the first three onesies will be followed by three more one shots, continuing the story from the first shot ..

I disclaim, I own nothing.

A/N – I'm going to get nailed for this, but this shot doesn't exactly follow the lines of the other ones – while the others ones can be read on there own, this one contains only half a story; because of the delicate nature of the subject matter, the main Lilian/character romance will take part in the next half of the story, which will be posted following Lil/Mike & Lilash.

There is a character death, you've been warned, but it is not, I repeat NOT Lilian .. so stop throwing stones at me!! ducks for cover. This is also Christmas themed, to help you all deal with the inevitable holiday 'spirit' hangover. Feedback is greatly appreciated, read and review!

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"C'mon Garcia, we're going to be late!!" Trish pouted. "I don't want to miss out on my present!"

Rolling her eyes at her reflection, Lilian ignored her friend momentarily and continued to brush her hair. "Trish, Vince and Steph are going to give you a present _regardless_ of what time we get there .. and it's just a present anyway, why are you concerned about something so materialistic?" Shoving her brush back in her bag, she sighed heavily, now talking now to herself than anyone else. "Gee Trish, there's more to Christmas than presents."

Popping her head back in the doorway Trish frowned. "Did you say something honey?"

Sighing again, Lilian pasted a smile on her face for the benefit of her friend only. "No Trish, I didn't say anything." Grabbing her bags in one hand and tossing Trish her keys with the other, she moved toward the door, looping an arm through her friends. "Let's go, yeah?"

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_In her head, she sees a vision of a bride and groom, both impeccably dressed in traditional white and black. The blushing bride is a beautiful brunette, but the grooms face is obscured. He is short, but still taller than her. Smiling, the wedding party grins for the camera as the newlyweds kiss. Suddenly, the father of the bride drops his glass mid-toast and everything turns black ..._

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"Thank you again for all your hard work again this year!" Vince's voice boomed over the crowd. "Without your continued enthusiasm and commitment ..."

Lilian stifled a yawn, looking at her watch. Vince had a tendency to go on and on at these things and at the moment all she wanted to do was head to the airport and catch the red-eye back to New York.

A figure caught her attention from across the room, his head bowed, feet shuffling back and forward on the spot. Curiously, she lowered the sunglasses she'd stuck on before entering the room to peer at him. Running a hand through his hair, it looked like the annual Christmas party was the last place he wanted to be right now. Feeling her gaze upon him he looked up and straight at her, smiling nervously before turning away, his hollow expression and woeful eyes conveying his sadness. Both touched and concerned by his actions, she felt compelled to comfort him. Rising to go to him, she stood in her seat but Trish grabbed her arm and made her stay.

"Lil," Trish hissed. "They asked for Jillian, not Lilian, sit down!"

"But Trish .."

"Sit!" Her best friend commanded, wondering why Lilian was acting so peculiarly tonight. Torn, the petite ring announcer remained seated, but her heart went out to man sitting on his own. He was surrounded by people, but he looked like he was the only person in the room. The room erupted in spontaneous applause as Vince finished up speaking, a wave of people standing and obscuring her view. Reluctantly she stood and joined in, smiling on the outside yet sharing the pain of another within. As everyone moved off to say goodbye and share well wishes for the holidays she searched for him, but he was already gone.

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_He's leaving again ... the bride who was smiling is now hiding behind a mask of happiness. He's going to work, to be in the squared circle he raves so much about ... the adrenaline, the rush, the fans. It's his life. Is her life destined to be with his? The brunette bride doesn't know anymore ... she didn't think it would be like this ..._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Why is she looking at me? He wondered sadly. Does she pity me too? I'm sick of being the one that everyone feels sorry for, I just want to get home and away from this place for a while. I hate Christmas, he grumbled inwardly. The only good thing about the holidays is seeing Jessica. Instantly he brightened, excited at the prospect of seeing his girl again. At least she won't make me feel like everybody's fool he thought. Suddenly, his thoughts turned back to Lilian. She looked like she wanted to come over he realised .. but why? 

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"_I miss you ..."_

"_I miss you too ..."_

_A pause. "Are you coming home soon?"_

_He's hesitant. "Soon."_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Have a great Christmas Lilian," Charlie Hass said warmly, giving her a brief hug. "Will you be coming by for New Years this year?"

"You're still holding the New Years Eve party?" She asked incredulously. "How on earth is Jackie managing,with the new house and little Kayla? I thought Torrie had taken it on this year."

He smiled fondly. "You know Jackie, she insisted. A million miles an hour, it's the only speed she knows right now."

"I don't want to impose," Lilian replied carefully, knowing that Jackie would be stressed enough as it was without having extra guests. "I've got to head off now, but can I let you know?"

"Of course you can Lil, just know that we'd love to have you. Jackie has been .. " Charlie stopped mid sentence, distracted by someone calling his name across the room. He turned to wave before diverting his attention back to Lilian but she was already gone. Scratching his head in confusion, he shrugged before turning back to the party. "Hey, John!"

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"_I'm sorry," Her Doctor soothed. "We need to start treatment immediately."_

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Being inside he hadn't realised, but it had begun to snow lightly, a small flurry of flakes swirling around in the night air. Trudging to his car, he dumped his bags in the back and pulled his coat on, shivering slightly as the wind began to pick up. Hopping in his rental, he stuck the key in the ignition and slowly pulled out of the lot. The weather now matching his mood, he failed to recognise the small blonde yanking her door open, juggling several bags and presents all at once. Breathing heavily, she simply dumped it all on the floor before climbing into the drivers seat and starting the car. Flicking on the heater, she turned the keys once, then twice to try start the engine. To her dismay, the car started tiredly before spluttering to a complete stop. "Oh c'mon baby," she pleaded whimsically. "Please turn over, I've got to get home."

Looking out into the white wilderness surrounding her, she realised if she didn't get moving fast, she wasn't going anywhere tonight. It wasn't like she had an awful lot to go home too, but she couldn't spend another night in a stuffy hotel room. Lilian longed for the sights and smells of New York; the crowded streets, the people, the feeling of being alone in the big city but not entirely alone. Slamming her hands on the dashboard, she closed her eyes. Letting out a soft cry, she shoved the keys in the ignition and prayed that the engine would turn over. "No, no no, not tonight .."

Knowing that she had to act quickly, Lilian pulled out her cell and dialed a taxi service. She knew that she could have gone back inside and waited with everyone else to make it home, but she yearned for some privacy tonight. Something was drawing her away from the building; she couldn't quite explain it, but she had an urge to get to the airport. Call it women's intuition, call it a premonition of some sort, but she had an inexplicable feeling she had to be there. Shrugging the notion off for a moment, she finished her call and dragged her things from the car to a nearby bus shelter. She fished for her jacket in her travel bag but it was nowhere to be seen. Cursing herself for not checking before she'd left the car, she vainly tried to warm herself. Feeling rather sorry for herself in that moment, it dawned on her why the holidays were such a sad time for some people. People without families, without a roof over their heads, and she was upset because she was a little cold. Rolling her eyes again, Lilian's thoughts turned to Trish and her attitude earlier that night. What was it about the holidays that turned some people into such greedy monsters?

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_He dropped the phone in shock. It didn't matter that he had to work tonight. His wife needed him, he was going home. "I'll be right there."_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Across town, a lone figure was bent over in the snow, car keys in hands. Inching his way to the trunk of the vehicle he groaned out loud at the sight of another flat just lying there. A mile or so back he'd heard the unmistakable bang of a tire blowing out, and he knew that the way his luck was going, it had to have been his. Scanning the highway he saw only two cars, both heading in the direction he'd come from. He pulled out his cell to find no reception, the snow storm obviously shorting lines in the area. Convinced there was no need to panic, he simply gathered his bags and leaned against the car. Figuring someone would drive by shortly he settled back to wait, snow getting caught in his hair, the white flakes dusting his cheeks. It was beautiful out here. So peaceful and calm, not at all like the torment and madness he'd become accustomed too recently. Pain and suffering were apart of his world, he had accepted that ... but right now he longed for the peace and serenity of his surroundings, a cool breeze on a clean slate. Rubbing his hands together he started to get worried. It was really starting to come down. What if he froze out here? Would anyone even notice? Oh great, he chided himself. Now even my thoughts are depressing. Shaking his head, he caught sight of a taxi from the corner of his eye and ran forward to flag it down. Breathless, he ran over to the cab as it pulled to a stop, coughing all the while. "Thank god you pulled over," he wheezed. "I thought I might get stuck out here!"

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"_How do you feel ..."_

"_Useless .." she coughed. "Sometimes I think you'd be better off without me ..."_

_He knelt and grasped her hand. "No, Ames don't say that."_

_It was too late .. she'd already slipped away._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Lilian watched snow flurries dance aside the cars window and unconsciously tightened her hood a little tighter so it obscured her face. The cab had arrived moments after she'd found her coat, and she was now on her way to the airport; hopefully in time to catch her flight. Suddenly she frowned, seeing a car pulled over to the side of the highway, a man sitting out in the cold. "Driver," she said quickly. "Can you pull over and pick up that gentleman?"

The cab driver frowned, wary of picking up another stranger. "Are you sure Miss?"

Nodding feverishly she answered him with certainty. "Yes, please."

"As you wish then." Changing lanes he swerved over to the side, almost over shooting the man standing there. The door flung open and a breathless man carrying a single carry-on hopped inside. "Thank god you pulled over," he wheezed. "I thought I might get stuck out here!"

Alarm bells begin to ring inside Lilian's head. She knew that voice!

"It's nothing," The cab intercepted smoothly, jerking a thumb toward the back seat. "You should be thanking the little lady though, she asked me to stop."

He peered into the back seat, but saw nothing but a young women wrapped in a woolen coat and a hood. "Thank you Miss," he said softly. There was something eerily familiar about her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Thank you for stopping."

"It's okay .." she responded in a whisper. "I couldn't just leave you out there." Please God, she prayed, he looks so sad, let me help him.

The cab driver looked at them both peculiarly before changing tack. "The airport?"

"Thank you .. that would be great." Is it her? He wondered. This town isn't exactly big .. not too many people would be flying out on Christmas Eve he figured. "Uh, excuse me? Miss?"

Lilian looked directly at him, recognizing him now under his layers of winter clothing. "Yes?"

It is her ... "Oh, nothing." He spluttered, not wanting to attract her attention too much. He didn't need anyone else to notice him, he appreciated his current obscurity within the business. He kept to himself for fear of being pitied, attention and people knowing off his hardships were something he didn't want nor need. "Sorry to bother you."

Nodding, Lilian turned back to the window. It was him .. why was he hiding?

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"_We gather here today to mourn the death of Amy .."_

_He stood beside the priest, head hung in dismay. His light had just gone out. He had no reason to be here anymore. _

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"What do you mean Boarding is closed??!"

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, seeing the distress play across her face. The rest of the cab ride had been uneventful, each one going their separate ways when they had made it inside. She'd picked up the fare, much to his chagrin. He didn't understand why she was being so nice to him, yet still she stayed away. Several times he'd seen her peer at him from the backseat of the car. Of course, he hadn't been looking at her when he'd noticed this. That wasn't it at all. He just felt himself being attracted to her and he didn't know why.

"I'm sorry Ma'am," a bored looking clerk responded. Wearing a Santa hat, she did everything but embody the spirit of the season. "Boarding closed five minutes ago, you're just too late."

"Five minutes?!" Lilian exclaimed. "Isn't there anyway you can let me on? It's Christmas Eve, I only want to get home."

"Look lady, I have a family to get home too as well." The clerk snapped in frustration."I'm just doing my job, if the computer says it's closed, then Boarding is closed. You're not getting on that flight."

There is no point in arguing with her, Lilian figured sadly. "Thanks anyway ... Merry Christmas."

"And to you," The clerk parroted, snapping she gum. "Good night."

Shoulders dropping, Lilian turned and headed across the lounge to check the Departures board. The next flight to New York wasn't until morning. Staring out the window, she saw the snow was falling heavily now, a good foot and a half covering the ground. A flight heading south, a flight that could have been hers taxied up the runaway, and it was gone. Heading back to her seat, she saw him talking to the clerk in a loud voice, a strained look across his face.

"Look," he said finally. "There is a young women over there who just wants to get home for Christmas. I realise we were late, and that it isn't procedure to let her on, but please, it's Christmas Eve, have some compassion."

Sighing, the clerk looked back at him blankly. "Sir, are you leaving on the flight as well?"

"No, I'm not. I just want to make sure my, ah, friend, makes it home for the holidays."

Bemused, the young women looked at him strangely. "If it's not your flight, why do you care so much?" As he opened his mouth to reply, she held up her hands signaling him to stop." The next flight to New York is in the morning. Tell your friend that she can catch that one, or she's welcome to stick around and catch another flight and transfer. If you have any other questions, just buzz." Pointing at the red button beside her booth, the clerk slammed the gate down, leaving him standing there in disbelief at what had just transpired. Shaking his head, he slunk away and sat down amongst his luggage. Touched by his concern, Lilian made her way over to him.

"Uh .. you didn't have to do that ... but thanks for trying."

His eyes darted up to see who was speaking, and he breathed a sigh of relief to see it was Lilian. "It's okay," he spoke quietly. "You asked the cab driver to stop and pick me up, it was the least I could do."

Her green eyes shone brightly in the light, and he found himself struggling to focus on her words as she started speaking. Gazing up at her, it was only now that he realised how stunning she actually was. "Well .. thanks anyway," she blushed. He nodded, and his eyes fell back to the floor. As much as he wanted her to stay, he really wanted her to leave. His chest tightened, and again he felt the urge to hold her close. What was happening to him?

Intrigued by his stand-offish behaviour she studied him for a moment. He didn't speak much, his eyes were lost and empty. Daring herself to find out what was wrong, she interrupted the silence that had settled in the air. "Can I sit?"

Not waiting for an answer, she pushed one of his bags out of the way with her heel and sat down next to him. The airport was virtually deserted, the only audible noise the dull hum of the fluorescent lights. A little nervous, she started talking to ease her nerves. "I love this time of year .. holidays, family, friends ... there's a buzz in the air, it's like magic. Christmas has always been my favourite holiday, ever since I was little, Dahlia and I would rush downstairs early Christmas morning ..." Flustered, she stopped talking. "I'm rambling aren't I?"

Without giving her an answer he turned to stare out the window. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" She asked in confusion. "Sitting here?"

"Sitting here. Talking to me."

As he faced her, an unmistakable flicker of hurt crossed her face. "I just thought ..."

"I want to be alone." He said flatly, his mind voicing his thoughts, but ignoring the feeling in his heart. "Please, Lilian, just leave."

Her answer was clear and concise. "No."

"No?"

"No. Not until you tell me why I'm feeling like I'm supposed to be here, why I have this feeling that I'm being drawn to you. Not until you tell me what's wrong and how I can fix it."

"You can't fix it," he replied dully. "No one can."

The pain in his voice bought tears to her eyes. "Can you at least tell me what's wrong?" She asked softly. "I just feel .. I feel like I'm supposed to be here, with you, to do something ... don't tell me you don't feel it," Lilian continued, staring him down. Avoiding her eyes, he slowly moved away, hot tears spilling down his face. Lightly grabbing his elbow she brought him back to face her, tears gathering in her own eyes. "Don't you leave me here, we're getting to the bottom of this."

"You want to know what's wrong?" He demanded, wrenching his arm free from her grasp. "I'm going home to nothing. You've got your family, your friends, your holiday magic," he chastised hollowly, "But I've got nothing to go home too! Christmas is just a waste of time ..."

Choking back a sob, Lilian barely managed a reply. "I'm so sorry you feel that way. I understand..."

"No one understands!" He shouted back, but looking in her eyes he knew that his statement was a lie. For some reason, she was feeling every ounce of his pain, and he wanted it to stop. These were his demons, his problems to deal with alone. Wasn't it enough that he had to see his wife suffering, but now Lilian as well? She was only trying to help him ...

"You miss her, don't you?"

Bewildered by her words he dropped his angry mask and stared at her stunned. "How do you know about her?"

Gently pulling him over to a chair, she pushed him into a sitting position before kneeling in front of him. "I don't,"she confessed. "Or didn't, until just then. I've been seeing images of a young women in all evening. I just ... I felt like you knew her."

"Her name is Amy." The inflection in his voice spoke volumes, telling a story with a mere four words that couldn't have been expressed better with a thousand. In a matter of moments, memories he'd tried to repress for so long came rushing back. Instantaneously, the same emotions and stories flooded Lilian's head, the small blonde reliving everything that he was experiencing. Clenching her eyes shut, her heart twisted with the burden of another mans pain, causing her to whimper softly. A wedding, a skiing trip, a young women waiting by the phone, a funeral. Lilian had all the pieces, but the puzzle didn't quite fit. Seeing the anguish on her face, he continued. "She was my wife."

In that moment, it all made sense. She had been seeing his wedding, his wife waiting for him to come home .. but a funeral?

"She died April 7, 2002. The Doctors did all they could, but it wasn't enough."

"It was cancer," Lilian said softly. Suddenly, she knew why she had to be here. She had been sent to make sure he was no longer alone.

"It was a melanoma, and it spread. She was only thirty years old."

"I'm sorry." Those two particular words had never meant so much to him as they did right now. Instinctively, Lilian opened her arms and simply held him as he wept, their tears mingling together to mourn the loss of one she'd never met, and the one who had meant everything to him.

"It's okay, "she whispered running a hand through his hair. "It's okay to be hurting over this, she was your wife, you two are bound to meet again, she will find you, I can feel it."

"Why was she taken away from me?" He asked in desperation. "What did I do, why couldn't it have been me?"

"It wasn't you because it wasn't your time," she responded, rubbing his back to try and relax him. "There's a reason, you're supposed to be here."

Pulling away from her he turned to toy with a small Christmas tree perched upon the table next to them. "It would have only been our second Christmas together."

"Do you have anyone to share Christmas with?" Lilian asked softly, grasping his hands with his. "You shouldn't be alone."

"My daughter was supposed to meet me at the airport when I got home to go for breakfast, but I don't think I'll make it now," He added sadly. "There's no one else."

"There's no way you're going to be alone at Christmas," she scolded lightly, well aware of his tears, knowing that she had to be gentle. He was speaking as if he'd just had his heart ripped out, and she knew, because she was feeling it too. Quickly, she came to a decision. All she wanted this Christmas was to get home. She'd wanted to be alone, yes. But right now it seemed like he needed a friend, and this was what the holidays were all about. "Would you like to come back to New York with me?"

He looked uncertain. "Well ..."

"You don't have to if you don't want too," she said quietly. "I just don't want you to be alone. Christmas is about being with family and friends, and for 260+ days a year you are apart of my family .. but I also want you to be my friend. I'd really like to get to know you a little better ... will you come?"

"Are you sure?" He asked worriedly." I don't want to impose ..."

"I'm sure." Lilian replied firmly."You'll come, I'll cook ... well, we'll order in, and we'll watch ridiculous holiday specials til all hours of the morning .. what do you say?"

As the clock struck twelve, he threw his arms around her. Just when he thought no one could be, she was there for him when he needed her ... now, he just wanted to know how he could repay the favour. "I'd love to Lilian Garcia," he said kissing her on the cheek.

"Great," she replied, hugging him closer and smiling widely. "Because I'd love to have you Charles Robinson."

A/N – For those of you who are wondering, Amy and Jessica are both real – Amy and Charles were married in the year 2001, and Jessica is his daughter from a previous relationship. Amy did indeed die of cancer on April 7 2002.

Kirsten, I hope this first half was okay .. I know it's not Joey Styles or John Cena but I heard this might have been a good option and ran with it .. trust me, a lot more will happen in the sequel :)


	4. LilianCharles part two

This chapter is dedicated to Live It Up, here's hoping Kirsten enjoys it ... I have to apologise to Katie, the first fic I update should by rite be Lilian/Mike however I proved myself right with my computer skills late last night and deleted half of it ... and it's only fair since Kirsten had to wait the longest last time that she gets in first this time ...

I disclaim, I own nothing .. except for the awesome Eddie Guerrero shirt that I was given yesterday, all the way from New York : )

Thanks for all the reviews and the feedback, I still find it hard to fathom the reaction that these things get ... happy New Year + enjoy the story!

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Yawning, Lilian pulled her keys from her pocket and struggled with her front door. It was 2am Christmas night. Or to be more accurate, 2am on the morning of the 26th, Boxing Day. The snow hadn't shifted off the runway, leaving Charles and Lilian no choice but to remain sitting in the airport or find an alternative way home. Luckily enough for them, a freight train carrying coal had been heading to Central Station, and as a result, they both smelt like burnt firewood. Managing to finally unlock her door, Lilian headed inside, her guest following behind her.

"So," she yawned again. "Welcome to New York."

Placing their bags down on the floor, Charles quietly stood in the middle of the lounge, waiting for her to continue. He suddenly remembered why he'd been so reluctant to come here in the first place. Lilian was maybe the fifth person he'd willingly spoken to to since ... Amy had died. And here he was, standing in her home in the middle of the night, only eight months after his wife passed away. Blushing, he hid his face. He still couldn't figure out what was so alluring about the women in front of him. There was a sense of compassion in her eyes Charles had never seen before, and it warmed his heart just to be near her. Before last night, he'd spoken to her all of maybe four times, and now he was a guest in her home. She was beautiful, he realised. Truly beautiful, both inside and out. Even with black streaks on her face, her hair matted and her clothing dotted with snowflakes. Her smile, her eyes. She was gorgeous. "Thanks again for having me," he said quietly, taking in the apartment around him. "You really didn't have to have me here over the holidays."

Alert now, Lilian turned to him in mock anger. "Charles," she said sternly. "You're here because I want you here, okay? This is not about you, or me. It's about both of us having a good time and saving each other from boredom," she smiled, hoping he would see she was joking. If there was one thing she'd learnt about him today, it was that he found it hard to relax; he constantly felt like he was being judged. However, she was determined to put a stop to that. "Okay?"

Smiling slightly, he nodded. He still felt like he was an imposition, but if Lilian was sure she wanted him here, then ... he was going to stay.

"Great," she smiled widely. "Now, let me give you the grand tour." Leading him over to the large bay window she spread her arms wide and pulled open the curtain with a flourish. Up opened a new word of lights and people, twinkling and rushing around the streets even at this time of night. "This, is my home," she said proudly."Possibly the only city in the world where you can be surrounded by thousands of people yet still feel entirely alone."

"I know how that feels," he murmured quietly. "That pretty much sums up my situation." Lilian shot him a sympathetic glance as he stared at his feet. Reaching out for her hand, his eyes asked her a question, which she answered by lacing her fingers through his. Moving along, she drew the curtain and he moved with her, silently falling into line as she ushered him around the studio apartment. He wasn't used to taking direction. Recently, his life had been overrun with painful decisions, something he wasn't exactly proud of ... this was a welcome change for him. Lilian wasn't here to judge him, she wasn't here to pity him. She just wanted to help him.

"And here, is the bathroom," Lilian said finally, coming around the apartment full circle. "Um, you can go in and have a shower, and I'll get your bed ready in the guest room." Dropping his hand she gently nudged him in the direction of the door. Stepping inside, he turned back and quietly closed the door behind him. Lilian closed her eyes, wondering just what she had gotten herself into. She wanted him to be here, really, she did. The last twenty four hours spent in his company had been quite peaceful, but she still couldn't explain the feeling that had drawn her to him in the first place. Initially, she thought it had been to help him. But now, she felt something a lot more ... personal? There was an attraction, that much she knew. She was beginning to develop feelings for him, more than she cared to admit. Knowing that she couldn't dare act upon it only made it that much worse. Sighing, she headed back to the guest bedroom and fluffed the pillows, making sure that Charles would be as comfortable as possible. Settling down on the bed for just a moment, she closed her eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.

Hot water streaming down his face, Charles washed his hair, a multitude of thoughts running through his head. He shouldn't be here, he didn't trust himself to be here right now. Breathing deeply, he tried to bury the thoughts he was having. This was wrong, very wrong ... Amy hadn't even been gone a year, and here he was having thoughts about another women??! Shaking all over, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying himself quickly. This wasn't right, it wasn't fair to himself or Lilian, She hadn't invited him here with the intention of trying to start a relationship with him, she only invited him so she wouldn't be lonely. "Okay Charles," he said to himself. "You're going to go out there, and convince yourself that that young women means nothing to you, she's just a friend, only a friend." Dressed now, he headed to the guest room, only to see Lilian asleep on the bed. Smiling softly, he gazed at her lovingly. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, her hair framing her face, legs drawn up to her chest. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Charles realised he had to get her into her own bed. Bending his knees, he lifted her into his arms, her arms automatically linking around his neck. As he turned to move, Lilian started to wake up, still drowsy from her nap. "Where are we going?"

"Lilian, I'm taking you back to your room, it's okay." He soothed, not knowing whether he should wake her up properly or if she was a heavy sleeper and he should leave her..

"Don't want to go," She mumbled against his chest. "Stay here."

Swallowing heavily, Charles begin to sweat a little. "Uh, okay, I'm going to put you back down here, and I'm going to go sleep on the couch." Laying her back down on the bed, he almost tumbled over on top of her. Lilian was refusing to release her arms from around his neck, and he was standing over her, his arms very nearly brushing over her breasts. Oh no, he thought. I've got to get out of here. Nervously, he coughed. "Uh, Lil, you've got to let go."

Hearing him, but no really understanding what he was saying, Lilian simply tightened her grip, forcing him to sit down on the bed, the small Diva asleep in his arms. "Stay," she whispered.

Blushing furiously now, he immediately objected. "I can't."

Opening one eye fully now, Lilian glanced at him, loosening her arms a little. Gently pushing him down against the pillow, she grabbed one of his hands and held it in hers, lying her head on his chest. His heart beating a million times an hour, he gently brushed her hair off her face, realising that he wasn't going to be able to move anytime soon. "You can," she whispered. "Goodnight Charles."

Knowing that resistance was futile, he sank into the pillow, again trying to bury the joy he was feeling at simply being close to her, relishing the chance to hold her in his arms. This is wrong, he scolded himself. Think about Amy. Amy, your beautiful wife ... with her blonde hair, her beautiful singing voice ... no, Charles, that's Lilian, stop thinking about Lilian! Unable to help himself, he gently ran his fingers through Lilian's hair, enjoying the softness. Holding back a slight moan, he froze as she unconsciously nuzzled her head against him, draping her arm over his. "Goodnight Lilian."

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Stirring, Lilian awoke to find herself wrapped in the arms of her house guest. Embarrassed, she tried to squirm out of the way, but he pulled her closer. "Charles?" She whispered softly, keeping her head turned away from him. "Are you awake?"

"I'm awake," came the response from behind her. "Lilian .. what are we doing?"

"I .. I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I just know ... This .. we shouldn't be doing this."

There was a pause before he answered. "We shouldn't be doing this, or you don't want to be doing this?"

"Honestly?" He nodded, instinctively moving closer behind her, his head slipping onto her shoulder. Lilian's breath quickened and her heart began to race. Every time he came near her she felt the urge to move closer to him, to touch him. But she suppressed it, knowing that he was still grieving. This time, he was making the move though. She carefully considered her response before answering. "I .. I want too. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You .."

He cut in, knowing what she was about to say. "I know .. Usually .. I didn't want this," he admitted. "At least not right now. Lilian, I'm attracted to you, and .. I have these feelings for you .. it's just too soon. I'm sorry," he whispered.

Swallowing, she blinked back tears. She had known that was coming. So why was she so upset by it? Refusing to let it rattle her, she gently removed his arm from where it lay and hopped off the bed, offering him a hand. "Come on," she smiled brightly, trying to mask her hurt. "We have the entire city of New York to explore."

Allowing her to pull him up he followed her dutifully into the kitchen. He was lying to her, and to himself, and he hated it. He was ready .. he was just ... scared.

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Strolling through Central Park with Lilian, he found himself reaching out for her hand again. They'd spent the morning in the petting zoo, before heading over to the batting cages, followed by pretzels. If Charles was being honest with himself, he'd have to say he was enjoying his time. It wasn't often that he found he had a connection with anyone, but this was different. For the first time since Amy had passed, he felt like he was ... complete. Lilian complied, grabbing his hand in hers tightly, knowing that if they had to move slowly, this was fine with her. Smiling at her warmly, he turned to say something before a voice called out to him.

"DAD!"

Charles whirled around, dropping Lilian's hand in the process. "Jessica!!"

Lilian watched in bemusement as a young women ran up to Charles and launched herself at him, laughing in excitement. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I'm .. uh ..." He said carefully, watching Lilian out of the corner of his eye. "I'm visiting a friend," he finished simply, grasping Lilian's hand again, a gesture not lost on his daughter. "Jess, this is Lilian."

Jess threw her arms around Lilian, whispering in the small blondes ear. "Thank you for letting me know you were here!" Lilian smiled and wrapped her arms around Charles daughter in response, thrilled at the fact she had made the journey out here to see her father.

"It was nothing," Lilian insisted quietly.

"No, really," Jessica said, her arms still locked tightly around the ring announcer. "It's much more than that," she added as an afterthought. "Thank you for looking after my Dad."

Tears welled up in Lilian's eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be able to look after him ... but she knew that right now, it wasn't a suitable option for either of them. Stepping back from Jess she turned to Charles, eyes pleading with him to step in. Worried, he did so, not wanting to upset either of his girls. "Uh .. How about some coffee," he offered weakly. "My treat."

Nodding, Jessica fell into step with Charles as they walked along the path, chattering about everything and nothing all at once. Charles smiled proudly as she rattled off stories from college, beaming as she retold tales of her work. But as the same time, he was concerned for Lilian. She was walking beside him, but she was more than a million miles away. Gingerly, he reached for her hand, but she brushed him off. Hurt, and more than a little confused he stopped, left behind as Jess grabbed Lilian and headed into the coffee shop ahead of him.

"So what's the deal with you and my father?" Jessica asked curiously. "Tell me, whens the wedding?"

"Excuse me?"Lilian exclaimed. "Oh no. We're colleagues. That's it."

"Colleagues?" Jessica asked in surprise. "Lilian, how many 'colleagues', do you usually invite home for the holidays? You're not even on the same show as my father, as far as I know." Her voice quietened. "How many 'colleagues' walk around holding hands?"

"Look, it's more complicated than it sounds." Lilian sighed.

"Then why." Jessica glared at Lilian now, unsure of her motives. She had no problem accepting the fact that her father was pursuing a relationship with Lilian, but it wounded her to see that Lilian was denying it. Truly, she only wanted the best for her Dad, and she felt the need to be defensive. "Why are you doing this? He's only just getting over Amy dammit! He doesn't need anyone toying with his emotions!"

Eyeballing the younger women, Lilian virtually spat out her response. "Do you honestly think I would try and force myself upon him? Do you think I have some other reason for inviting him to New York, besides the fact I actually wanted to help him?! I can't help the way I feel for him now, but I would never, ever, make your father do something he didn't want too, especially not under the circumstances!!"

Jessica's eyes softened, seeing now that Lilian actually had her Dads best interests at heart. "Lilian.."

"I've got to go," Lilian muttered. "Tell Charles I'll see him later."

"Do you love him?" Jessica asked bluntly. "Just answer me that. Do you love him?"

Standing now, Lilian pushed back her chair and picked up her bag. "It was nice meeting you." Turning, she ran straight into the chest of the one person she was trying so hard to avoid in that instant. Not knowing how much he'd heard, she dropped her head and shuffled through her bag to find a pen. Lifting his hand, she scrawled her address on it. "I'll be at the apartment if you need me."

"Lil," he said desperately, not understanding what was happening. "Wait." But she was already gone. Defeated, he fell into a chair, head in his hands.

"Go after her."

"Excuse me?" Head shooting up off the table, he stared blankly at his daughter." Do what?"

"Go after her. She loves you."

Fear gripped his heart at those words. Love? Lilian loved him? He couldn't love anyone, didn't have the propensity to love right now. "It's too soon," he whispered.

"Too soon for what?" Jessica challenged. "Too soon for you to be happy again? Dad, Amy wouldn't want you to be moping over her. She would want you to be happy. I want you to be happy."

"I can't," he mumbled. "It's not right."

Reaching across the table, Jessica grabbed her Dads hands. "Dad, look at me." Shifting his eyes back to his daughter he tried to focus on what she was saying. "Lilian rang me." She informed him, "And asked me to come and see you. I'll admit I was wary at first, but when I saw you two, and I saw how happy you were holding her hand, I knew that there was something between you. Take it from me Dad. I know eight months isn't an awfully long time. But you have to ask yourself. If not now, when? Will she still be waiting? Amy would have wanted this for you Dad."

"I'm scared," he admitted. "I know that a parent should never tell their children that they're afraid, but I'm scared. What if Lilian leaves too .. What if ..."

"What if you turn around right now and head back to that apartment?" Jess counted. "You're not doing yourself any good sitting here procrastinating." Lowering her voice, she tried to appeal to his softer side, knowing that if he truly cared for Lilian, he wouldn't let anything happen to her. "I bet you right now, that she is sitting back home, or rather lying on her bed, quite possibly your bed, crying her eyes out. She's confused, and yes, she's hurting. But only because she has all of this love for you and you can't accept it. You have to let her in Dad."

A steadfast look of determination surfaced in his eyes. She was right. He had to go to her.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Watching the streets rush by from inside the taxi, Charles was a picture of confusion. Jessica was right, he realised sadly. It was time for him to move on. But what would Amy think? He wasn't a stupid man, he knew that Amy had passed on, but he did believe in God. Amy would be watching him, had been watching him. What would she think? Seeing a lone church surrounded by a complex of high rises, his heart clenched in his chest. Surely the Lord could help him."Driver, can you pull over?"

Not bothering to answer him, the driver swerved across two lanes of traffic and pulled to a stop before the small building. The Puerto Rican saw the look of pain on his passengers face. "Take your time."

Charles nodded before stopping out of the cab. Entering the building, he knelt in a back pew, crossing himself as he went. Uneasy, he closed his eyes and began to pray.

_God, please. Show me the answer to this problem. Give me direction., let me know what I'm supposed to do. _

A voice spoke up, breaking the silence. "My son, I pray that you may first admit your needs. I pray that then you may have the faith that God will help you meet those needs, in the way which is best for you."

Glancing up quickly, Charles saw a Priest before him. Shaken by his presence, his eyes fell to the ground. He hadn't been in a church since ... since the funeral. "But Father, what if admitting my needs means hurting another?"

The Priest smiled softly. "I pray that you may constantly prepare yourself for better things to come. I pray that you may only have better opportunities when you are ready for them."

"The opportunity is right in front of me ... ."

"Then, my Son, I believe that you are ready."

"It's too soon," Charles protested.

"Or is it?" The Priest pressed gently. "It would not present itself unless the Lord knew it was timeWhat strays your hand? Or rather, your heart?"

When he looked up to confront him, the Priest was gone. Sighing lightly, Charles stared down at his wedding ring. In one smooth action, he pulled it off and slipped it on the opposite hand. He would always have Amy, always love Amy. Nothing could possibly change that. But he knew in his heart, that he wasn't meant to be alone any longer.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

She had been hurt before.

But the pain of being divorced, of having her heart broken previously, did not begin to compare to the ache she felt now. Lilian didn't understand it, yet at the same time it made perfect sense. Alone tear dripping down her cheek, it was stopped before it could trickle down her chin.

Glancing up, her eyes were full of wonder. "What are you doing here?" She asked haltingly.

"On Christmas Eve," he began brokenly. "I told you you couldn't fix it." Tracing her delicate features, he continued. "I was wrong."

She went to speak, but he held a finger in front of her lips, motioning for her to stay quiet.

"You can't fix it," he added. "But you can help me fix it."

A question in her eyes she begged him to explain himself. "Charles ..."

"Ssh. " He saw the hurt in her eyes, the tear stained cheeks and at once knew he was doing the right thing. "Amy is a part of my life. We were only together for a short time, but Amy will always be in my heart, do you know that?"

"Yes ..."

"But Amy is not the only person in my heart." Grasping her hands in his, he took a gamble. Sitting beside her on the bed now, he lifted her hand and kissed it. "There's plenty of room for someone else, room for someone else in my life"

Lilian closed her eyes, heart racing. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he ... before she could think about the possibilities, his lips captured hers in a soft caress. She sat frozen as he withdrew, his eyes searching her face for a sign, anything to let him know that he had been right in kissing her.

"Lil?" He spoke at a whisper, both frightened and feeling exhilarated from the feel of her lips against his.

She spoke bluntly. "Do you want this?"

"I'm sure," he nodded firmly. "I know now why I'm here, here with you, " he stressed. "This ... just feels right."

"This morning ..."

"I know. I said I didn't. I wasn't sure, I thought it was too soon." He said uneasily. "But I told you, the feelings were there, are still there." He insisted sheepishly. "I know a few hours doesn't make a lot of a difference. You have a right to question me."

Meeting his eyes, she smiled. "I'm not questioning you," she confessed. "I just want you to be sure ..."

"I'm sure," he said immediately. "This is what I want." Unconvinced, Lilian nodded. Catching her hesitancy, it struck him that he wasn't the only party involved here. "Is it what you want?"

Taking in his puppy dog expression, the burst of emotion and pure exhilaration she felt at being near him, the passion she saw in his eyes. She ached to touch him, needing to know that he was being truthful. Again she felt the connection, the raw tension that fueled the electricity between them. "I want this."

Impulsively, Charles leaned in to kiss her again, this time embracing her, placing his hands gently on either side of her face. Breaking the kiss she pulled him to her, hugging him tightly. Moving away, Lilian placed her hands on his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. "Charles?"

"Mmm?"

"What you said on Christmas Eve ... Are you sure you don't want to be alone anymore?"

His eyes flickered in recognition, hands drifting across her lower back.

_As he faced her, an unmistakable flicker of hurt crossed her face. "I just thought ..."_

"_I want to be alone." He said flatly, his mind voicing his thoughts, but ignoring the feeling in his heart. "Please, Lilian, just leave."_

_Her answer was clear and concise. "No."_

Resting his chin a top her forehead, he gently kissed her hair. "No, Lil. I don't."


	5. Lilash part two

I forgot to add it on the last one, but the final fic (Lil/Mike) will be up by tonight for me, when I re-finish it, and tomorrow for all of you .. Apologies again, but these things happen ...

This is for Shout Diva aka Katy who has threatened bodily harm on me for not having this out sooner ... my apologies, but hey, I write them, I should get to enjoy them before I share, no?

Once again, I own nothing .. nuthzing! Accept a headache after a terrible Hogans Heroes marathon .. hence the ridiculous Schultz impression ...

Apologies to anyone who is shocked by the characterization of the lead in this fic LMFAO

Thanks in advance for any reviews : )

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"Ouch!" She muttered, throwing a dirty look over her shoulder. Twisting her arm to try and pull the spaghetti strap sleeve of her tutu down off her shoulder, Lilian winced in pain. Her arms were littered with cuts and bruises, her left eye swollen shut and her back laced with scratches. "That burns. Talk about police brutality," she joked, grabbing the handcuffs off the side of his pants pocket and twirling them on her finger.

Wincing himself at the sight before him, Bobby put the disinfectant down. "I'm sorry Lil."

Sighing audibly she turned a little to look in the mirror. "It's okay Bobby, I know you're only trying to help." Swallowing heavily she took in her reflection. She was definitely ready for Halloween, her usually glowing skin mottled and bloody. Holding back a sob, she lowered her arm in defeat, unable to get the sleeve down. "I think I'd enjoy this a little more if you used the handcuffs though," she said playfully, a remark that he wisely ignored.

"Here," Bobby said gently. "Let me." Raising his hand to her shoulder, his long fingers lifted the tulle away from her skin. Bending her arm slightly, he deftly lowered the sleeve and slipped it over her hand. Lifting the other sleeve, he pulled the strap down lightly, but it ripped in his hands, the tutu staying up with no support. He blushed slightly, a little uneasy at sitting in his hotel room, on his bed, with a barely covered beautiful women, let alone a barely covered beautiful Lilian Garcia. "I'm sorry ..."

Lilian smirked a little, well aware of the effect she was having on the man. "Bobby, stop apologizing. It's okay." Realising she could have some fun here, Lilian lowered the front of the tutu an inch or two, just enough to see the look on his face. Bobby gulped, wanting to be near her, but at the same time, averting his eyes like the gentleman he was. "Bobby? Are you with me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He nodded firmly, trying to convince himself to calm down. "I'm okay."

Lilian lowered her eyelids and shuffled back towards him. He was resting on the headboard, his legs crossed, Lilian sitting with her back to him as he cleaned her wounds. It was early morning, a hospital visit and a frantic phone call from Vince filling what was left of the night before. Placing her hands behind her on his knees Lilian leaned over the bed, the tutu falling down to reveal the small of her back. "Can you do the rest?" She asked softly. "I can't reach."

"Su ... Sure," Bobby stuttered, feeling her hands rubbing his knees through the thin material of his police outfit. He was still wearing the pants, but had ditched his shirt in favour of a wifebeater, eager to get the blood soaked shirt off of his body. "Uh .. Lilian?"He choked out throatily.

"Mmm?"

"You, um ... there are some scratches under your bra strap, I'm just going to lift it out of the way, okay?" He replied nervously. He couldn't recall a time he had been more nervous around a women. Of course, he didn't usually bring a girl back to his hotel room straight after she'd survived a car wreck either. He couldn't help but wonder if her behaviour was intentional, whether she was just toying with him for the sake of doing it, or if she realised what she had come so close to losing, that being her life, and was now planning some wicked plan to make sure she didn't miss out on anything now that she'd seen the prospect of death before her.

Lilian smiled widely, hiding her face so Bobby couldn't see. There was something about this man, something so powerful yet innocent that she wanted to learn more about. He was such a gentleman, his nervousness evident through his hesitant tone and his respect apparent through his touch. "It's okay," she said calmly. "Do what you have to do, you don't have to ask."

Swallowing heavily yet again, Bobby slowly inched the tutu down and began to clean the wounds on her back, feeling her wince under his hands. "Lilian, I'm hurting you."

"It's okay, you big baby," she teased. "A little disinfectant isn't going to hurt me, and besides, it's necessary."

Not at all reassured by her teasing tone, Bobby continued to gently sponge her back. "So ... uh ..."

"Are you alright back there big fella?"Lilian asked coyly. "I didn't know it was so hard to form a coherent sentence."

"I'm fine ... It's just, I ... this is the last place I expected to end up tonight." He confessed a little warily. "The Halloween party was the only event on my 'things to do' list I'm afraid."

"You mean the last place you expected to be was your hotel room?" Lilian asked incredulously, raising her eyebrows. "Why, Mr Lashley, you surprise me. You had another agenda?"

The big man chuckled, still a little wary of her behaviour. "No, Ms. Garcia," he replied, placing extra emphasis on her last name as she had his. "I expected to end up here, just not with you." He grew serious, dropping all jocularity. "I didn't expect to see you lying on the roadside, after surviving a major accident, that's for sure. It .. seeing you like that, it scared me."

"You were scared?" Lilian deadpanned. "Big, bad, brave Bobby was scared?"

"Yes," he said bashfully. "I was scared, I didn't know if you were going to be okay, or, .."

Turning to face him, she now sat cross legged before him."Well, lucky for you I was okay," she said seductively. "Because now, you've got me all to yourself."

"Lil." His eyes pleaded with her to stop, but she ignored the message. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" She asked innocently. "We're sitting here having a normal conversation, what's wrong with that?" Lilian resumed rubbing his knee, and try as he might, Bobby was finding it hard to ignore her ministrations. Shakily, he reached down to grasp her hands in his, his larger hands enveloping her petite fingers. His body was beginning to react to what she was doing, but Bobby couldn't think of anything worse right now. Why was she doing this?

"You're acting ... I haven't seen this side of you before, that's all."

Folding her arms sullenly, Lilian eyeballed him. "What are you trying to say?"

Truth be told, she was a little hurt. He didn't even know her, and here he was chastising her behaviour. If she was being entirely honest with herself, then yes, she would say she was acting a little peculiarly. But wasn't it her prerogative to decide how she acted? She was a grown women, who'd followed peoples rules and conditions her entire life. Now that she'd almost had her life taken away from her, she was beginning to see the opportunity that sat before her. This was her chance to take her life and turn it into something, to be somebody. She wanted to be known, to be somebody. She was tired of being 'the ring announcer', she wanted to take chances. Lilian simply wanted to be able to live. What better time than the present?

"Lilian .. I'm just," Bobby paused, knowing that unless he wanted to withstand the wrath of the small Latina, he had to tread carefully. "I'm just saying, I didn't know you that well before tonight .. I just kind of, well, admired you from a far. We've never been on the same show, I've never really had the chance to talk to you like this," he blushed. "I just never realised you were so .. so .."

"So what?"

"Well ... flirtatious, I guess."

She smirked again, moving her hands out of his and on to his forearms. "Flirtatious?" Lilian cooed. "Never!"

"Really?" Bobby asked, trying his best not to sound surprised. To be frank, if he'd known this about her ... he wasn't sure he would have become so attracted to her. Lilian had always seemed like a sweet women, no doubting she still was, but Bobby had always thought that she'd seemed rather demure, hardly the promiscuous women he was seeing tonight. "Lilian, tell me the truth."

She suddenly felt awkward under his penetrating stare. "You just don't know me at all, Bobby."

God, she looked beautiful. Her tutu drooped slightly at the front, revealing a little more than he felt comfortable with. Reaching forward, he tugged it up more, anxious to protect her, even if it was only from himself. There was a feeling stirring inside of him, an urge to just reach forward and ravage her, but he refrained. Not only was it not an appropriate time, he barely knew her. "I thought I did, at least a little," he offered. "The shy Lilian Garcia I held in my arms earlier tonight, that was the Lilian I thought I knew."

"Hey!" She objected. Torn between the new facade she had adopted and the trappings of her normal personality, she struggled to find an answer. It would be all to easy for her to sink into her normal behaviour, to not break the boundaries. Lilian groaned inwardly. She didn't want to be herself in that moment, the new, daring Lilian would have thrown back a playful response, teased Bobby and lead him on. The thing was ... she liked him too much to do that. To her dismay (at least in her current frame of mind), she could see a future with this man, and she knew that she had to be careful. Defeated, she gave him her reply. "That is me .. just .. its not."

A small smile played across his features. "Care to explain?"

"Not really," she shrugged sheepishly, before the rebellious edge returned to her tone. "I don't have to explain myself to anybody."

Raising his eyebrows, he shrugged. If she wanted to play hardball, then he'd play along. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"You should be," she shot back haughtily.

Sighing, he held his hands up in surrender and moved to get off the bed. Lilian reached out to stop him, grabbing his arm. "What?"

"You can't just leave in the middle of an argument," she said heatedly, not wanting him to leave.

"I wasn't aware we were arguing," he said pointedly. "I was just going to get you one of my shirts to wear. I thought you'd be a little more comfortable that way." He ruffled through his bag, pulling out one of his shirts that she would undoubtedly swim in. "Here."

Standing gingerly, she used her arms to push herself up off the bed. Unable to turn away, Bobby watched stricken as her tutu fell off her body, revealing everything. Her small shoulderblades, pronounced calf muscles ... He tried to avert his eyes, but not before he drank up the sight of the singer standing in her underwear. Delicate, with curves in all the right places. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I'm really sorry."

Shoving the shirt at her he quickly turned away to study his hands, embarrassed at what had transpired. Moments passed and he barely breathed, for fear of being chewed out. Yet with Lilian's current behaviour, she would probably do the opposite and not mind at all. Lilian stared at the mirror, tears forming as she saw her reflection, her stomach and legs covered with cuts, the stitches sewn sure to leave scars. Her resolve to be 'the new Lilian' vanished, caught up in the vision of pain. Mentally, Bobby both reviewed and tried to erase the image of Lilian he'd just seen, cursing himself for being so rude. Here he was bring critical of Lilian's new 'attitude', and he was being an absolute jerk, taking advantage of her with his eyes. Choking back a sob, she tried to lift her arms but couldn't, the pain far to intense. She had always been rather self-conscious when it came to her body, especially when she was confronted by the other beautiful Divas on a daily basis. Hearing a sharp intake of breath, Bobby grew alarmed.

"Lil? Are you okay?" He desperately wanted to turn to her but his sense of decency stopped him.

Terrified of his reaction, she ignored him. The bruises would fade in time, the scratches would heal. But emotionally, this was becoming too much to bare. She was a strong women, but even a strong women has a desire to be loved, to be showered affection upon. In her own mind, this wasn't even a possibility in her current state. No one would want a thing to do with her, not Bobby, not anybody.

"Lilian?" He paused. "Lil, answer me." Worried about his companion, he debated turning around to see her. Goodness knows he wanted too ... but it just wouldn't be right if he did ... Giving in to temptation, he whirled around to catch her as she began to fall. Tucking her under his arm so she could stand, her eyes feel to the floor. Suddenly aware of his close proximity to her body, he held her at arms length, not wanting to smother her. Again her resolve began to crumble, the innocent Diva showing through.

"I look terrible."

"You look gorgeous." Picking up his shirt he handed it to her, trying vehemently not to touch her. "Here, put it on."

"I can't." She wanted to cover up now, the brave face falling through, no bravado strong enough to mask her feelings. "Can you put it on for me?" She asked shyly.

"Lil, don't keep up this flirtatious charade, please. I miss the old Lilian ... " he begged her. "This just isn't you."

"Bobby ... I'm not." Ashen, it occurred to her the impression she must have given him, she flushed bright red. "I .. I can't lift my arms."

Guilt flashed in his eyes at his assumption. Moving back to her he gently gathered up the shirt and slipped it over her head. He tugged lightly at her arms, pulling the shirt down as it covered her body. Their eyes met, and he was overcome with an overwhelming desire to kiss her, rescue the damsel in distress from her torment. Staring back at him hungrily, Lilian inadvertently licked her lips. Drawing her toward him, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Lips centimeters from touching, their eyes spoke a thousand words not needing to be said aloud. Cursing himself for almost giving in to the petite blonde, and fulfilling his own desires, he stopped to stare at the floor. Lilian shifted her weight suddenly, and the shirt became caught up on her thighs, riding up dangerously. Kneeling, he caught the shirt where it had become stuck and unraveled it past her knees. Recognizing the precarious position he was in, he quickly stood and picked her up once again, lying her down on the bed. Pulling back the covers, he covered her up before moving away to sit beside the bed.

"Stay." Lilian wasn't asking, she almost demanded him to stay with her. "Please."

"Are you going to be nice?" He dared to venture.

"Bobby!" She admonished him impishly."Are you trying to say you didn't like the new Lilian?"

Sitting on the bed he scooted toward her, hugging her gently. "No," he whispered. "I like the old Lilian just fine."

"I'm sorry ..." She buried her face in his neck as he kissed her hair, welcoming her scent the feel of her body in his arms.

"It's okay, really," He assured her. "But I have to ask ..."

"What?" Lilian asked in slight confusion, withdrawing from his arms. "What's wrong?"

"Well," Bobby grinned, eying up an object resting on the nightstand. "What were you planning to do with those handcuffs?"

Pretending to be appalled, Lilian lifted a pillow and whacked him in the arm with it. "You said that you liked the old Lilian better than the new one right?" He nodded in the affirmative, a smirk spreading across Lilian's face. "Well, the new Lilian was the one who liked the handcuffs. The old Lilian, the one who you wanted to stay, just wasn't interested." Leaning forward to kiss him, she surveyed his face with wide eyes, wondering what she had done to deserve this man.

"And ..." He said in anticipation.

"And, I guess that means," she grinned cheekily. "That you'll never find out!"


	6. Lil Mike part two

This is the final chapter. Hope you all enjoy.

I own nothing and no one, feedback is appreciated but not expected for this dismal effort. And yes, I'm well aware Lilian doesn't have a middle name, but now she does. Anything else that isn't correct feel free to take up with me too. I apologize now for any mistakes but I couldn't be bothered editing. I might change a couple of things and repost later if need be.

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"White."

Trish shook her head in disgust. "Far too plain. Pink."

Lilian crinkled up her nose in distaste. "Too you."

"Lilian!"

Lilian smiled apologetically at her friend. "I'm sorry! But pink is more your thing ... light blue?"

Trish flopped on the bed beside the petite ring announcer, grabbing the swatches of fabric out of her hands. "Light blue? It's a little 'garden party' don't you think?"

"We're getting married in a garden," Lilian said pointedly.

"Which I don't really get," Trish said rolling her eyes. "You're getting married in winter, and you're getting married in a garden?! What about getting married in Madrid? You love Spain, I thought you'd want to married there."

"We only have the weekend to do it," Lilian explained softly. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed a fraction, but she continued on. "The shows on either side of the weekend are in Jersey ... so a garden in New York is the best way to go ... Until Mike gives Vince his notice, then we just have work around ... well, work around work."

Automatically noticing the change in Lilian's voice, Trish sat up and pulled both of Lilian's hands into her own. "Lil, you don't really want to get married in a garden do you?"

"It's a beautiful place ..." Lilian offered.

"Lilian Garcia, tell me the truth!"

Sighing, Lilian looked away before turning back to face her. "If I give you my honest answer, you won't tell Mike will you?"

"What?" Trish asked aghast. "No way. You come first with me Lil, Mike maybe your fiancée, but anything you tell me in confidence stays here, okay? You know that."

Reaching forward to hug her friend, Lilian smiled. "Then no, I don't want to get married in the New York Botanical Gardens, I can't think of anything worse!"

"Then why Lil?"Trish asked quietly. "Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, you shouldn't be getting married somewhere you don't want to. Everything should be perfect."

"I know that, I do. It's just ... things haven't been easy for us at all up until now, I don't want to take my luck for granted. I just want to marry him. As it is, you and our families are the only ones who know .. we haven't even had the chance to tell everyone else yet ..."

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"_How did the date go last night?" Trish asked eagerly, bouncing up and down on her heels. "Did you and Carlos hit it off? He's a really nice guy Lil, honest."_

"_It was okay," Lilian said tiredly. In all actuality, last night had been one of the worst experiences of her life. As good looking as he was, Carlos made watching paint dry an exhilarating experience. "I don't think he's the one for me though." Because I'm already in love, she finished silently._

_Trish's face fell. Why did Lilian never seem to have any luck when it came to dating?"Oh okay .."_

_Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Lilian interrupted her friend. "But that's only because I've already found the one for me," she said gently, watching Trish's eyes go wide. _

"_What?! When?! Who?!" _

_Rubbing her neck guiltily, Lilian bit down on her bottom lip. "For a while, to be honest. I haven't been able to tell you because of ... well, because of this ridiculous fraternization policy Vince is insisting upon enforcing."_

_The mouth of the current Women's Champion just about hit the floor. "You're dating a wrestler?? But, you barely even talk to half of the guys! Not the ones outside of our friends anyway!"_

_Shaking her head, she corrected her friend. "He's not a wrestler."_

"_Is he an announcer? A suit? Part of the ring crew?" Trish demanded, her face showing her disappointment._

_Lilian blushed. "He's a referee."_

"_Oh. My. God." Trish whispered. "You're getting it on with Earl Hebner? Lil, he's old enough to be your father!!"_

"_No!" Lilian squealed with laughter, holding her sides because they hurt from laughing so much. "It's not Earl Hebner!"_

"_Jack Doan."_

"_Nope."_

"_Brian Hebner."_

"_No!! Trish, give me some credit."_

"_I'm running out of options," Trish pouted._

"_It's Mike," Lilian sighed dreamily. "Mike Chioda."_

_Trish gasped. "You rat! I should have known! You two are always eyeing each other up!" She accused hotly. "But he only just returned from Smackdown ... how serious is this?"_

"_You might want to sit down, Trish". Lilian said cryptically, pulling her hand out from behind her back and flashing a beautiful ring before her friend. _

_Only two words were spoken as a thump was heard, Trish's body hitting the floor. "Holy. Shit."_

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"You do plan on telling everyone, right?" Trish asked curiously.

"Of course we do ... we're just ... waiting for the right moment." A knock sounded on the hotel rooms door, and both girls looked toward it expectantly.

"Is someone coming by?"

Lilian smiled widely, the sparkle returning to her eyes. "It's Mike."

"But this is his hotel room, why is he knocking?" Trish said incredulously. "He knows he can just come in, right?"

"Of course he does. He just doesn't want to interrupt us, so he's doing the polite thing and waiting." She answered swatting Trish on the arm. "Come in, Mike." The door opened slowly and her fiancée stepped in, a bunch of lilies in his arms. Glancing shyly at Trish he stepped up to the bed and knelt beside Lilian, kissing her lightly.

"These are for you," he said clearing his throat and offering her the flowers.

"Mike, you shouldn't have!" Lilian exclaimed. "They're beautiful, thank you."

Trish groaned inwardly. God these two were sickening. Sweet yes, but sickening. "Hi Mike!"

Not even taking his eyes off of Lilian for a second he replied. "Hi Trish, how have you been?"

"Good, I've been good," she enthused, a thought popping into her head. Maybe Lilian didn't want to push Mike so she could have her perfect wedding .. but she had never said Trish couldn't try and give her one ... Trish grinned widely, a plan formulating in her head. "Hey Lil, maybe you should go and find some water for those flowers." Peering suspiciously at her friend Lilian nodded slowly, climbing off the bed. The flowers weren't going to die right this instant without water ...

"I should, shouldn't I? I'll be right back." Kissing Mike again, Lilian picked up the flowers and headed out of the room. Mike stood and looked at his feet, unsure of what to do. Anyone could see Trish was up too something, but what?

"So .. how are the wedding plans coming along?" He asked finally, thinking that by bringing up the topic Trish would have enough to rave about until Lilian got back. It wasn't that he didn't like Trish, she was a fantastic person, and she was great for Lil, she was just a bit .. what was the word? Over bearing at times.

"Weeeell," Trish began. "Great, apart from one small thing .. And that's where you come in!" She finished, beaming.

"What do you mean?!" Mikes skin paled. "She hasn't changed her mind has she??!"

"Um, not entirely..." Trish fibbed, figuring if she stretched the truth a little more she'd maintain his attention. "But I have an idea .. and I need you to help me."

"Uh, Trish," he said nervously. "I don't know if I like the sound of this ..."

"Of course you do. We're going to give Lilian the perfect wedding!"

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Later that evening, Mike was lying on their bed with Lilian in his arms. Trish's words were running through his head. Was she right? Was Lilian really unhappy with the prospect of marrying him? Lilian's breath was shallow and even, and she was barely moving as he simply stroked her hair. Curtains open, the moonlight shone into the room dancing across the floor, the sparkling lights of Vegas close by yet far enough away to give them some peace. "Lily?"

"Yeah Mike?" Almost asleep as she lay there, his voice roused her out of a daydream full of wedding gowns and invitations. "Is everything okay?"

Deciding not to mince words, he dived right in with his question. "Is everything okay with the wedding plans?"

Hearing the hesitance in his voice she rolled over to face him, her head lying next to his on the pillow. "Of course it is .. why wouldn't it be??!"

"It's just .. I was talking to Trish, and she mentioned that the Garden's were a funny place to get married, especially in the winter." Lilian rolled her eyes, knowing that Trish couldn't keep a secret to save her life. His voice dropped and he continued on, skepticism evident in his tone. "I kind of got the impression that she meant you didn't want to get married at all ... does this mean you're having second thoughts?" Trish had better be right, he thought to himself. With that comment alone I'm making myself susceptible to a beating from a Latina half my size ...

"What?!" Lilian exclaimed in disbelief. Eyes wide, she sat up in distress."Mike, no!"

"Are you sure?" He queried, smoothing back her hair again. "I got the feeling you were upset Lil ..."

"Mike, that's not it ... The problem is with the location, not with you." A question in his eyes, she took a deep breath. "Trish and I were talking about how nice it would be to get married in Madrid, and make it a whole big affair. But I don't care where we get married, whether it's the Garden's, or Madrid, or right here!!" Poising herself to suck in another big breath of air she continued, shoulders shaking. "I just want to get married!!"

"Lily .. honey, you're rambling." Mike smiled as he lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing it lightly.

Tears welled in her eyes as she tried fervently to keep them back. "I want ... I just want to marry you."

Smiling tightly he brushed away a stray tear as it drifted down her cheek. Relief flooded across his face as he gently pulled her closer."Good," he whispered. "Because I want to marry you, so much."

Kissing her lips now, he accentuated each word with a kiss. "I want you to know that."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

As Lilian lay sleeping, Mike reached for her cell on the bedside table. Punching in a number, he waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Ello?" A voice thick with sleep mumbled. "Lilian?"

"Trish, it's Mike."

Blinking, Trish rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Mike, it's 2am, what couldn't wait til the morning?"

"I've been thinking," he replied softly, a little excited, albeit a little ashamed about what he was about to get involved in. "I want to do this for Lil, I'm in."

Without missing a beat Trish piped back. "We'll get started immediately. We only have a week to plan this, and it has to be perfect!"

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Lilian awoke the next morning to the sound of her fiancée on her phone. Rolling over, she rested her head on his chest, enjoying the closeness. "Nothing too big ... two each? That sounds fine." Glancing at Lilian he cast a wide smile, lifting her hand to his mouth for a kiss. "She's right next to me."

Lilian smiled back, not having to ask who was on the phone. Trish's rambunctious voice could be heard underwater. "Morning Trish!" Without waiting for a reply, Lilian slipped out of bed and padded off to the bathroom, causing Mike to lower his voice.

"Chad and Jack I guess ... and Steph? Dahlia, of course." Listening to Trish prattle on he tuned out slightly, refocusing as Lilian reentered the room. "Can you tell Steph today? I'll tell the others ... no, just the two. Make sure she doesn't tell her father."

Lilian slipped back into bed, rolling on her side to look at Mike. "What are you talking about?" She mouthed silently. Grinning, he simply held a finger to her lips to signal her to be quiet. "I've got to go, Trish, I'll talk to you later. See you then." Flipping the phone shut, Mike turned to his fiancée. "Stop being so nosy," he teased her, leaning down for a kiss. Lilian obliged, but soon pulled back in disgust.

"Gross, Mike, brush your teeth!" She jokingly protested, swatting him away. "What were you and Trish talking about?"

"Uh .. nothing," he fibbed.

"It didn't sound like nothing," Lilian replied, arching an eyebrow.

"Just an angle that Stephanie wants to take with the Women's Championship," he shrugged. "Steph and Trish just doesn't want Vince to know about it yet." C'mon Lil, just run with it. His eyes pleaded with her to trust him, for fear he might say something she wasn't supposed to hear.. Lilian studied him carefully, knowing that he wasn't telling her the complete truth. Jeez Lilian, she scolded herself. Mike would never lie to you. He has no reason too, right? Nonchalant, she shrugged it off, and climbed out of bed once again.

"Okay," she shrugged. "Well, did you want to go and get some breakfast?"

Guilt flooded Mike's eyes as he turned to quickly look at the clock on the nightstand. "Uh, I'm sorry Lil, but I have to meet with Jack and Chad this morning, there's some new process for referees Vince wants us to go through ..."

Please believe me, please believe me, he prayed desperately. As much as he wanted to go along with this plan, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable lying to her. For a brief moment he thought he say something, but his head got the better of him. Turning toward her now, he smiled lightly, and he was met with a terse glance. Lilian sighed inwardly, it was care she wasn't going to the alone time with Mike that she craved. Her eyes lost their sparkle slightly, but she continued on bravely. He isn't himself this morning, Lilian thought to herself. I wonder what's wrong ...

"Okay then. Uh ... will I at least see you before the show?"

"Well, I'll see if I can fit you in," Mike frowned, half teasing yet being completely serious. Between meetings with various Superstars, running around in circles for Vince and meeting up with Trish .. he just didn't have time for Lilian today.

"Oh ... alright."

Shoving on his pants, Mike finally noticed the mundane tone of her voice. She was disappointed he realised. Coming to stand before her, he wrapped her in his arms before letting go. "I'm sorry Lil, I know that Vince has been keeping me busy lately ..."

"Mike, it's okay," Lilian broke in, forcing a smile. "It's work," she rationalized, "Go and do your thing." Shooting her a grateful smile, Mike kissed her again before flying out the door."

"I'll ring you, I promise."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

The sound of Lilian's theme rang out across the office, Mike barely glancing down at his phone as it continued to ring. "What about the dress?" he fretted anxiously. "I don't know what sort of dress Lilian wants!!"

Trish held back a snort, her eyes lighting up. "I'd be worried if you did, Mike, it's okay," she laughed as he sighed in relief. "I'll organise the dress, you just worry about your tux."

His skin automatically turned a pasty white. "Oh no. A tux."

"What now?" Trish asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't have a tux," he confessed. "I got rid of the old one when Lilian moved in and never thought about getting another until just before the wedding."

"You're kidding."

Mike shook his head. "Sorry Trish."

Groaning in exasperation, Trish chucked Mike her keys and grabbed her bag."Alright, I saw a place near the hotel, we'll just have to buy one."

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Damn straight," she muttered under her breath. "I swear Chioda, I think you need a keeper." Picking up his phone, Trish glanced at the caller ID. "Your phone's ringing."

"Just leave it."

"It's Lil."

Halfway out the door, Mike barely gave her a second glance. "I'll call her later."

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Dropping her bags in Trish's locker room, Lilian looked at her watch in confusion. It was going on 3pm, Trish should have been here by now. Her rental hadn't been in the car park, she realised. Come to think of it, neither had Mike's. Picking up her phone, she hit speed dial, and glanced at her watch again.

"_Hi, this is Mike, I'm not here, leave me a message." _

Groaning in frustration Lilian slammed her phone down. Remembering his strange behaviour earlier, she frowned. He'd said he would ring ...

Where the hell were they?

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

It was Monday morning and Trish was struggling through her third cup of coffee. They'd finally found a tux that Trish had deemed acceptable, and made it to last nights house show with an hour to spare. It was only before heading out to the ring that Trish had checked her phone to see thirteen missed calls on the display, all from Lilian, no doubt trying to find out where she was. At the end of her match she'd seen the relief in her friends eyes, yet she also saw anger. Wincing, she'd left the arena as soon as she could and left Mike to face her friends wrath. It wasn't that she was avoiding her, she just wanted to pull this off, and make it as perfect as possible.

"Trish!" Lilian exclaimed, bouncing into catering. "I've been looking for you everywhere, where have you been??"

Without even batting an eye Trish shoved her notebook full of wedding arrangements under her tray. "Sitting here," she said smoothly, smiling widely. Lil is going to love this, she thought to herself wickedly. When she finds out what we're up too ... "I haven't seen you for a while," she commented.

Lilian rolled her eyes playfully. "That's because every time I try and find you, you're never around! You don't answer your phone half the time, you spaced during your match last night ... who is he?"

Trish spat out the orange juice she was drinking. "Excuse me?!"

Shrugging, the smaller blonde replied. "Well, whenever you become this ... preoccupied, it's usually a guy."

Oh, it's a guy all right, Trish thought feebly. Your fiancée Lil, is the only guy I've seen recently. Pushing back her chair, she grabbed her things and made to leave.

"Wait, Trish, where are you going?" Lilian protested. "I just got here .."

"Um .. I have to go and find Mike .. talk about my match," she muttered, flushing red. Lilian sighed as she watched her go. First Mike, then Trish. Always on the phone together, always running off to see each other she realised awkwardly. What is going on???

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Come in," a foreboding voice called gruffly.

Swallowing, Mike grabbed his folder and stepped in Vince's office. The Chairman coolly raised an eyebrow in the referee's direction, otherwise ignoring him as he continued upon his business. Mike was sweating, the next ten minutes would make or break his career.

"Mr. McMahon, I have a proposition for you."

The Chairman merely grunted. "Proceed."

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Lilian slammed down her phone in frustration. Trish wasn't answering her phone, and neither was Mike ... it scared her more than she liked to admit. They had been spending an awful lot of time together, so much so that Lilian hadn't even seen her fiancée since they'd woken up this morning and he'd raced off to meet someone. "I'm going to see Trish," she snarled, mimicking Mike."Just have to go and see Mike," she said in a syrupy voice, now imitating Trish. "I'll ring you ..."

Stalking across the room, Lilian hit the wall before collapsing in a sobbing heap. "It's always Mike and Trish, Trish and Mike," she sobbed to the empty room. "Well, what about Lilian?" Head in her hands, she started to shake uncontrollably, her nerves getting the better of her. "It's like they're having an ... ," she whispered brokenly, Her mind was processing the idea, yet her mouth refused to form the words. "An ... "

Desperately she tried to quell the unspoken notion, but the word wouldn't go away. Standing unsteadily now, she stared into the mirror, blood shot eyes and pale skin being her reflection. It was far from the healthy glow she'd maintained just days before. Am I being rash? Lilian wondered to herself. Am I imagining things? Sinking back to the floor, she closed her eyes. Instantly, she was met with images of Mike running out the door, talking on the phone to Trish, his eyes smiling. She saw Trish leaving to see Mike, nervous, like she had something to hide.

"Could they be ... " Days of unanswered phone calls and a despondent Mike flashed through her head, only confirming her suspicion in her mind. They were having an affair ... right in front of her eyes! Fire flashed in her eyes, her temper fulled by rage but the immediate pain was too much to bare. Her heart felt like it was breaking, her mind chastising her heart for not realising earlier. He loved Trish ... he wanted to be with her ... Commonsense eluded her as she curled up in a fetal position, rocking back and forward on the floor. "Mike ... "

Where could he be?

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

On the opposite side of the arena, Trish had gathered Stephanie McMahon, Jack Doan and Chad Patton into her locker room. In her hands sat a small stack of envelopes, white with an engraved gold setting on the front. Laughing inwardly, she looked at the small rag tag group she had brought together. Not in a million years had it occurred to her that she would be saying this.

"Trish, I hate to be a pain," Stephanie started. "But I have a meeting with my mother in twenty minutes. What's going on?"

"Well," Trish said mysteriously. "What is everyone doing on the weekend of the 25th?"

"The 25th?" Chad muttered. "That's next weekend ..."

Jack scratched his head. "Well, we're working ... In Spain, if I'm not mistaken."

Grinning, Trish began to hand out the envelopes. "Exactly!"

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Monday Night Raw had just finished, and for once Lilian couldn't have been happier. Mike, not to mention Trish and Steph, had been distant all weekend. Ducking her questions, always rushing off to do something that she wasn't involved in, she felt like she was being ignored, and honestly, it hurt. It wasn't that they were being rude or flat out dismissing her, there had just been a noticeable change in their behaviour, and Lilian didn't understand why. Sitting now in the locker room she shared with Trish, she quickly pulled her cell out of pocket. Double checking to make sure there was no one around who might hear her call, she dialed a number and hoped that the phone would pick up.

"Hello?" Answered a cheery voice on the other end.

"Hey, Dahl, it's me," Lilian said softly.

"Lil? Honey, what's wrong?" Dahlia frowned, noticing the stress in her sisters voice.

"Um .." Lilian choked back tears. In that moment, she'd never felt more confused and utterly alone. "Can I come home?"

"What?! Why? What happened, did you have a fight with Mike?"

"They're .. " Squeezing her eyes shut, Lilian held on to her cell like a vice. "I think they're having an affair ..."

"What?!" Dahlia exclaimed. "Who? Mike? And Trish?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Lilian whispered. "Can I just come home?"

Dahlia closed her eyes. She had a sneaking suspicion of what had transpired, but she knew better than to say anything. Damn Trish and her plans, she cursed inwardly. God only knows how she got Mike to go along with this, but jeez, didn't they realise the possible ramifications of their actions? Spending all their time together organizing a wedding that the bride to be knew nothing about! Anyone could see that Lilian was bound to get suspicious of what was going on!! "Of course you can sweetie. Let me know when your plane gets in, and I'll come and pick you up, okay?"

Saying goodbye and hanging up the phone, Lilian quickly gathered her things and slipped into the hall. She knew she had to get to the airport before Mike or Trish noticed she was gone. But how ? Inspiration hitting her, she knocked on the door of the Referee's locker room. The door opened, and Jack popped his head outside.

"Lilian!" He smiled broadly, but his face fell as he saw the unshed tears in her eyes, and the worry across her face. "What's wrong?"

"Can you drive me to the airport? I want to go home."

Back in Texas, a glass flew across the room and smashed into the wall. Nobody, absolutely nobody, messed with her sister. Cursing out loud now she knew Lilian couldn't hear her, Dahlia rang her sister's fiancée. He was going to get a piece of her mind, that's for sure.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Leaving Vince's office Mike's phone rang, but he ignored it. Lilian had taken a slight bump that evening, and his first priority was making sure she was alright. He was halfway there when he slammed straight into Trish, a stricken look on her face. Alarmed, he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Trish? What's wrong?"

"It's Lil. She's gone."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Taking the airport exit, Jack glanced over at Lilian, seeing the tears now dripping down her face. Pulling the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road, he put his hand on her arm, hoping to calm her. "You want to talk about it?" He asked softly. He liked Lilian, she was such a nice person unlike some of the other Diva's in the locker room. Sure, he'd been shocked to find out that she and Mike were engaged to be married, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

"It's Mike," she explained dully. Jack raised his eyebrows, unsure if she realised just what she was talking about. As far as he was concerned, Lilian didn't know that he and Chad knew about their relationship, let alone their impending nuptials ... . Then again, Lilian was being kept in the dark about that as well. A little uneasy now, he realised he was going to have to tread carefully.

"What about Mike? Mike Chioda?"

Lilian nodded, still staring out the window. "He's been ... this past week, it just seems like he's been ignoring me," she said brokenly. "He's so tired when we get to the hotel room all he does is fall asleep right away! He always distracted, his kisses, his touch, everything!" She was sobbing now, harsh cries echoing through the car. "He's always so busy, it's like he doesn't have time for me anymore!"

Yep, Jack thought wryly. That will happen when you decide to plan a wedding in just two weeks, especially without the knowledge of the bride. "Vince has been on his back a lot lately Lil, it's not his fault."

Drying her eyes, Lilian nodded. 'I know. It's just ... it seems like he has more time for Trish than he does for me! He's always on the phone to her, or saying that he has to meet up with her for some new Women's Championship storyline ... do you think he's decided he wants to be with her instead?"

Jack's heart fell at that statement. Was Lilian kidding herself?! Mike ... and Trish .. shuddering, he shook his head. "Lilian, no! Mike only wants to be with you! Why else would he be putting all his time into this weekend ..." He trailed off, realising he'd said too much. Luckily for him, the small Diva wasn't even paying attention.

"It doesn't feel like it ..." She said quietly, toying with her engagement ring. "I should have seen it all along, he wants Trish, he just didn't know how to tell me. He doesn't love me anymore."

Desperately, Jack tried to think of a way to distract her, knowing that there was no way he could convince her otherwise. Just then, Lilian's phone began to ring. Staring blankly at the caller ID, she thrust her phone at Jack, eyes pleading with him to take care of it. Sighing, he answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"What are you doing answering my fiancées phone?" An angry voice demanded. "Who the hell do you think you are??!! Wait .. Jack, is that you??!! Where are you?! Why have you got Lilian's phone?!"

A quick glance at Lilian told him to lie, say something to Mike that wouldn't give him any idea of where they were. But he just couldn't do that. "We're on our way to the airport," Jack said stiffly, knowing that he would have the wrath of a hot tempered Latina to face when he hung up. Lilian might have been his friend, but God, he was supposed to be one of Mike's groomsmen on the weekend ... where did his loyalty lie?

"What? Where are you going?!"

"Lilian isn't well," Jack intercepted smoothly. "She's going home."

"But ..." All of the air deflated out of Mike. Home? Why hadn't she waited for him? Wait, was she even going to their home? She wasn't going home home was she? "Why didn't she say something? Is she okay?? Did I .. have I done something wrong?" His skin paled, scared out of his wits about what this might mean. For Lilian, one of the strongest people he knew to just get up and leave, without even telling him or Trish where she was going ... "Can I talk to her?"

Jack gestured for Lilian to take the phone, but she shook her hands wildly, refusing. "Um ... Sorry Mike, she's asleep right now. Maybe you should just let her rest and wait until she rings you, okay?"

"Uh .. " For the first time Jack could recall, his friend was lost for words. "Okay, Jack. Thanks." He said finally.

"Don't worry about it. Want me to tell her anything?"

"Just ... " Mike closed his eyes, for the first time recalling the events of the past week. Lilian's hopeful expression when he'd entered their hotel room, then the sad smile she'd tried so hard to hide when he'd left only moments later. When he'd slipped into bed, Lilian trying to nuzzle against him, only to have him fall asleep. Her passionate kiss, mirrored by his lackluster effort ... the list went on. Apart from sleeping in the same bed, they'd barely spent an hour alone together all week. This is my fault, he thought chillingly. "Just ... just tell her that I love her."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

She was asleep again.

From the moment she'd arrived in Texas, to the morning she was due to leave for Spain, she slept. Dahlia tried to talk to her, reason with her, make her listen to what she had to say. But nothing. Mike had rung a countless amount of times, only to reach Lilian's voice mail. He rang the house at least twice a day, but Dahlia told him to stop calling. She'd ring him, if and when she was ready.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

She couldn't believe Lilian had thought they were having an affair.

Trish missed her best friend. She was getting the same treatment Mike was, and she couldn't help but feel this was all her fault. Spain had been her idea, the perfect fairytale in Trish's mind needing the perfect wedding. She couldn't believe Lilian thought Mike was leaving her. Then again, when she thought about it, their behaviour had been rather suspect. Trish and Mike had both just gotten so carried away with planning that they had forgotten about her. Now they didn't even know if their plan was going to work ...

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Stephanie McMahon was used to getting what she wanted. But try as she might, she couldn't get in touch with Lilian Garcia. Again, she rang Dahlia, to the same response. If Lilian showed up, then she would show up. If not ... well, who needed the WWE? In Lilian's mind, without Mike, work wasn't even a possibility. Nothing really ... had a point anymore.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

"Lil? It's time to go to the airport."

Pushing open the bedroom door, Lilian was a picture of strength. Her makeup was perfect, her hair pulled back. She was determined to not show any emotion, let any weakness slip. To her surprise, Dahlia stood before her, carry all in hand. "What's in the bag?"

Wordlessly Dahlia pulled out a white spaghetti strapped satin gown. It had a fine cut, the back dipping down to just above the tail bone. Flowing sheer mesh ties hung delicately behind, the front of the dress accentuated with a simple design of teardrop crystals. Attached to it was a simple card.

_To my beautiful bride on her wedding day._

Blinking, Lilian rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Huh?"

Dahlia pulled out an envelope. "This is from Mike." At the look on Lilian's face, Dahlia held up a finger to silence her. "Now, just a second. You need to read this."

The Garcia stubbornness streak chose that moment to rear its ugly head.. "Why?"

"Because for the last two weeks, Mike has been spending all of his time with Trish," Lilian's face crumpled, and Dahlia continued. " For good reason, might I add. They've been organizing a wedding."

"Whose?" Lilian asked curiously.

Flipping open an invitation Dahlia shoved it in her sisters face.

"Yours. And it's set to take place tonight."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Madrid wasn't the same without her. Painstakingly, he remembered the last time he'd been here. They'd drunk margaritas on the beach, seen the sun rise and set. It was here that he'd said he loved her for the first time. But now it held nothing but hurt.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Everything was in place.

The tent overlooking the beach was up, the thousands of fairy lights adorning it twinkling like fireflies in the night air. It had just gone dusk, the streaky rays of a setting sun painting a brilliant backdrop for the ceremony. Small bouquets of flowers littered the tent, strung together with a small musical note, the silver charm representing both the passion Lilian had for her music and the love that Mike had for his fiancée, music being the catalyst of their relationship No chairs were needed; all the guests had arrived apart from the bride and the maid of honor. There was an eerie silence hanging over the cliff top on which they were, the only sound to be heard emanating from the beach below where an entire roster set about organizing a reception.

"She'll be here."

Mike turned to see Jack and Chad behind him, both decked out in matching black suits. "She's cutting it close."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Mike, it's her wedding. Do you expect her to be on time?"

"I don't expect anything of her right now. Not after what I've done."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

"Why are we doing this?" Amy Dumas grumbled to her boyfriend Matt Hardy. "It's our one night off and we're done here, on the beach, organizing some big party for Vince! You think he could have paid people to do this."

Matt shrugged, placing another log down around the fire. "Beats me."

Stacy Keibler strutted over to the pair, almost falling over in her heels. "I hear someone's getting married," she informed excitedly. "Two someones."

"No, really," Amy said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You usually do need two people to get married Stace."

Matt craned his head around, looking at what seemed to be the entire Raw roster before him. "Who?"

"Ahem."

The trio turned to see Vince McMahon standing on a podium erected on the dunes. Dutifully, the Superstars turned to hear what he had to say. "I want to firstly thank you all," he began. "For being here tonight to make this all possible."

"Make what possible?" Jericho called from the crowd. "C'mon Vince, tell us why we're here!" The others murmured their agreement, nodding and looking at the Chairman expectantly.

"Jericho, shut it." Vince said warningly, a little upset at being interrupted.. Clearing his throat, he moved to start again. "We're here to celebrate the end of an era."

"You're retiring?" Paul Levesque perked up considerably, envisaging the Chairman leaving, increasing his chances of being able to move in on Stephanie.

"No Paul I am not retiring!" Vince boomed. "I'm talking about the end of the non-fraternization policy," he snapped.

"We're here celebrating that?" Christian asked incredulously. "That's it??!! I could be sleeping right now!"

Standing back from them all Stephanie rolled her eyes. "No, you idiots. You're here because, yes, the policy is gone, but also to take part in a landmark ceremony to mark its passing."

"Tonight, you will all attend the wedding reception of Lilian Garcia and Mike Chioda."

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Trish cursed under her breath. Lilian's phone was still ringing out which could only mean one of two things. One, she was home and still screening her calls, or two, Dahlia had managed to drag her to the airport. For the sake of everyone involved, Trish hoped it was the latter. Breathing in deeply, she shivered slightly. This hadn't been her smartest idea she realised. All she'd wanted was for her best friend to have the wedding she was so sorely deserved. She'd never meant for this to happen.

"Of all the pathetic schemes you've come up with over the years, Stratus, this is by far the worst."

Trish snapped her head up and exhaled sharply as a shadow fell over her.

"I didn't mean for it to turn out like this," she whispered pleadingly "I only wanted the best for you, I thought this was what you wanted! Spain, Mike ... we spent hours on this, the dresses, the hotel, convincing Vince ..."

"It is what I wanted," Lilian said ruefully, sitting down beside her friend. "I wanted the fairy tale, I want to live happily ever after."

"I'm sorry Lilian."

Lilian shook her head, dismissing her friends apology. "Don't be."

"I swear to you, nothing, NOTHING, happened between us."

"I know," the small Diva said simply."I know that now." Leaning over to Trish she wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry I even thought there was a possibility ..."

Turning to her friend fully, Trish embraced her friend, tears running down her cheeks. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Lilian nodded, her eyes softening. "Of course we will be. You worked so hard to make this happen, and that means so much to me Trish, thank you so much."

"I didn't do it alone," Trish reminded her gently."Have you spoken to him?"

"No."

"Lil ..."

"What do you want me to do?" Lilian shrugged earnestly, desperation etched on her face.

"Talk to him, ring him, anything!!" Trish begged. "You can't let this come between you two .."

"He lied to me."

"No!" The Women's Champion blurted out. "He didn't lie to you Lil, not intentionally." Tears built up in Trish's eyes smudging her eye make up. Why couldn't Lilian see the truth?! "If you're going to blame someone, blame me Lilian. Mike would sell his soul for you, you know that! You're his world sweetie ..."

.Lilian sighed. "I'm not going to blame you Trish, you had my best interests at heart, I know that."

"It's not Mike's fault either," Trish insisted. "Give him one more chance ..."

"It took us so long to get this right," Lilian whispered mournfully."I don't know if I can go through with this right now, it's just too ..."

"Overwhelming?" Lilian nodded slowly as Trish helped her stand. "I'm going to give you a few minutes to think," Trish said finally. "Please, Lil, I know how much he loves you ... All of last week, I've never seem him so alive. He was so excited at the prospect of marrying you ... this week, he's been nothing but a mess trying to function without you ... He ran straight into Glen Jacobs in full costume last night because he wasn't thinking straight. He almost wet himself, I've never seen him so scared," she joked.

Her words fell on deaf ears as Lilian closed her eyes and played with her ring. Her head was pounding, her small hands trembling at the thought of getting married tonight, even though she knew it was entirely what she wanted. For years now, Mike had been the only secure thing in her life, the only thing that seemed worth it some days. Was she prepared to lose him over something as trivial as this? Gazing around at the starry sky, Lilian knew what she had to do. "It's bad luck for a bride to see her groom before the wedding, isn't it?'

Trish squealed with joy, grasping Lilian's hands in her own. "You're still getting married?!!"

"I love him." Those three words were testament enough.

Their gaze fell past the clearing they were in to see a despondent Mike staring out over the ocean. Chad and Jack exchanged glances as Stephanie reappeared shaking her head, placing a small hand on Mike's shoulder. "He misses you."

"I know."

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Without looking at the call display he answered his phone. "Hello?" He said hollowly. If it wasn't Lil, he didn't want to talk to them. There was a pause, and Mike swallowed heavily. "Lil?" He dared to whisper. "Honey, is that you?"

"Hi," she said back softly. "How have you been?"

"Stupid," he admitted. "I am so sorry .."

Lilian interrupted him before he had the chance to continue. "I believe the correct response is supposed to be 'I miss you like hell Lilian, forgive me for getting caught up in one of Trish's dumb schemes."

From where she was standing she saw a small smile light up his face. "Okay then," he said quietly. "'I miss you like hell Lilian, forgive me for getting caught up in one of Trish's dumb schemes."

"That's better," she teased lightly, her tone still serious. She opened to mouth to speak again, but fell silent. "Mike ..."

"I am honestly so sorry for everything Lilian," Mike choked out. "There is nothing between Trish and I, I just wanted you to be happy. I got carried away ..."

"No one has bothered to go to this much effort for me before," she replied truthfully. "I know you wanted what was best, but ... when it comes down to it, I don't care where we get married, I just want to get married."

"You still want to get married?" he asked tentatively.

"Well, since you and Trish put so much effort into it, I guess I have too," she joked, with a trace of indignation in her voice. "I want to get married, I'm ready to get married. But don't think this is over, we'll be discussing this after the wedding."

There was dead silence before Mike could be heard sighing with relief. "Lil?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. Please, whatever you do, don't forget that."

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Lilian Anne Garcia and Micheal Jason Chioda in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace." _

Lilian held her breath, as if she expected someone to jump into the tent and object. Reaching out quietly, Mike gently took her hand in his, rubbing it in comfort. She was still shaking, but the warmth radiating off her fiancée was enough to keep her standing. The wedding party stood in a small circle, Dahlia next to Lilian as her maid of honor with Steph and Trish as her bridesmaids. To the other side of Mike were Chad and Jack, the Priest closing off the little huddle. This is perfect, Lilian decided now, tears forming in her eyes. The moon was full, its shadow creating splashes of light across the small platform they stood on. In all honesty, she couldn't have planned it better herself. Mike glanced across at her, seeing the discomfort in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, not escaping the attention of the Priest and everyone around them. Lilian nodded, for her part suddenly feeling full of contentment.

"I am now that you're here."

Smiling now, the Priest stepped back slightly. "Will Patricia and Stephanie please step forward?"

Mike looked at Trish questioningly. "Hey, if the bride didn't know about the wedding, then we have to have at least one surprise for the groom too," she joked. Jack reached into his jacket and pulled out a slip of paper handing it to Steph. Wiping her eyes, she turned to the couple and began to read.

"A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. " As Stephanie finished, Chad stepped forward and placed a silver locket around Lilian's neck. Blushing, Lilian lowered her head as Chad kissed her on the cheek.

"This locket symbolizes your past," he told her quietly. "Having to hide your relationship, keeping it a secret from everyone and locking yourselves away so no one would get hurt. Oh yeah, and all those cleaning closets that I saw you sneaking into at Pay Per Views," he teased, winking at her mortified expression. "Don't think I didn't see you Garcia!" Slipping his arm into Stephanie's they stepped moved back now as Trish and Jack moved forward.

"No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life." As Trish struggled to contain her tears, Jack moved toward Mike now, giving him a delicate silver key.

"This week, you have both demonstrated a commitment to each other," he said seriously. "Although you weren't together, you were both inevitably drawn back to each other. Without your devotion, neither of you would be here tonight. By opening this locket, you make a commitment to each other to lock away the past and remember it fondly, while opening yourselves both up to new experiences, a new life, and to each other." Shaking Mike's hand firmly he kissed Lilian on the cheek. "Congratulations," he whispered to her. "I told you I was right." Lilian smiled widely, throwing her arms around Jack impulsively as she recalled their conversation on the way to the airport.

"I'll listen to you next time," she promised laughing."Sorry Jack."

"I now ask Mike to unlock Lilian's locket, therefore recognizing the commitment they have just made to their friends, family and each other. This locket is an expression of their love and devotion to each other, a symbol of unity, and a promise to those present today," the Priest read from a sheet of paper. "That they will love each other unconditionally, pledging themselves to this love before the eyes of Christ and ... let Trish win every Championship match that Mike referees?!"

The Priest looked up in confusion as everyone present laughed. "It was worth a try," Trish laughed sheepishly.

"Remind me not to let you near my wedding if I ever get married Stratus," Steph said sternly. "I'll probably end up signing my life away."

Wisely choosing to ignore her remark, the Priest continued. "Will Dahlia please present the rings?"

Standing before Micheal, Dahlia presented a small cushion with two rings to her future brother-in-law. Mike gently lifted one of the rings and placed it on Lilian's finger, a tear forming in his eye. This is it, he realised. This beautiful women is all mine."I Micheal, give you Lilian, this ring, as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you"

Hesitant;y picking up the second ring, Lilian closed her eyes. This is what I want, she reassured herself. I love Mike, and I want to marry him. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and smiled at her fiancée. "I Lilian, give you Micheal, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"Lilian and Micheal have both written their own vows, and I ask them now to repeat them before their friends baring witness, and before the eyes of God."

Grasping Mike's hands firmly, Lilian smiled widely. This is it ... Finally, my fairytale becomes a reality ... The air was still, the only sound to be heard the buzz of insects in the trees. The fairy lights twinkled lightly against the dark tent, creating a warm glow.

"I, Lilian Anne Garcia, take you Micheal Jason Chioda to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live." As their eyes met, Lilian mouthed the words she longed to say aloud. "I love you."

Tears falling down both of his cheeks now, Mike struggled to bring himself to say his vows."I, Micheal Jason Chioda, take you, Lilian Anne Garcia, to be my friend, my lover, the future mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity." He finished quietly. "I love you too"

The Priest smiled, taking in the scene before him. Friends, lovers, yet more importantly family. If the sanctity of marriage was ever under threat, it was to be preserved here. "By the power vested in me, before I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride"

Eyes wide, Lilian turned to her husband. Opening her mouth to speak, she froze as Mike pulled her toward him, forcing her body to meld against his as he crushed his lips against hers. Relaxing with his kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Minutes passed as they stayed together, Lilian only moving away to draw breath before bringing Mike toward her again, this time allowing herself to grip his shoulder tightly, running her other hand through his short hair. Lips swollen, she stepped back to look him directly in the eyes.

"I missed you," she whispered. "I thought you'd left me."

Moving forward she captured his lips with hers this time, catching him by surprise. He moaned against her mouth, savoring the sudden contact between them and the taste of her kiss. Knowing that she now had his full attention, she chose that moment to gently massage his lower lip with her tongue, seeking entry. Tilting her head to the side to grant him better access, Lilian gripped his forearms firmly, yet he suddenly pulled back.

"I would never you," he insisted." I love you."

For the first time in over a week, she felt a wash of love spill over her, a sense of nostalgia almost. In that moment, she knew that she would never find solace in the arms of anyone else.

"I love you too."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


End file.
